August 30, 2010

Planning the experience or experiencing the planning?

Planning. Sometimes as a mom, I’m exhausted with this task. I plan for the entire family. I’m often at the mercy of the individual family members’ plans and have to coordinate five different plans into one master family plan. Then I make the master family plan fit into the plans of employers, schools, organizations, and more.



Moms aren’t alone. We ALL need this skill to cope successfully in life. Students plan schedules and time to get assignments done. At work people set goals and make plans to achieve them on schedule. Coaches put together practice and game plans to achieve that winning record. There are fitness plans, diet plans, health plans, insurance plans, payment plans, birthday plans, wedding plans…


A good portion of the human experience requires planning. So here’s a question that occurs to me as I am standing still. Am I always planning the experience and do I ever allow myself to experience the planning? (guess there are two questions to ponder)


Sort this out a bit girl.


Planning the experience – The main focus is on the end goal, the experience. The steps and details that must be taken and finished are items on a checklist. Sometimes these checklist items become frustrating stressors. In the back of my mind I hear a chant “got to get it done; got to get it done; got to get it done”. I find myself thinking “when I finally get to the experience…I’ll relax - I can enjoy it – I will….” Then the experience comes………(while its happening you still are focused on the detailing and not enjoying the experience)…………..and goes.


Experience the planning –The goal is in the horizon but the focus is on the present detail that is being finished. The completion of a detail is an accomplishment in itself. When the experience happens you enjoy seeing and reaping the reward of the specific accomplishment of a specific detail.


Planning is part of the experience. If I don’t “experience the planning” I lose something.


Stand still: Do YOU find yourself always planning the experience? Do you ever allow yourself to experience the planning?


Yep, our lives require planning. And we all know that “the best laid plans ….often go awry”. But, I am able to have complete confidence and peace that there are plans I can trust my days, my life and my very soul with. God’s Word says “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)


Thank you Lord.

1 comment:

  1. I, too, would the experience more if I let myself enjoy planning it, anticipating it.

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