When things do not go as planned

Humans as a species crave order. Everything needs to make sense to them. There is a perception of control that humans seem to desire. We want to exert control of our environment and produce desired results. A good example of this would be in humanity’s desire to create time and mark time.

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Try to imagine a life without timekeeping. You probably can’t. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car. You have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner or a movie. Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays. an alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out.

― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

It’s crazy when you think about it time is simply the “measurement” of persistence. For something so tenuous and amorphous it seems foolish to give it so much value.

Most founders of companies (yes including startups) are actually in their 40’s. You may get a little discouraged because you hear about the 20 year old starting a business or a family but do not get discouraged time is nothing but a weird made up number and you are doing great.

The only real time you have anyways is right now, so do the best you can with what you have, where and when you are.

While you are there…..

I wish I had a million dollars. Doesn’t everyone wish they had a million dollars? When you imagine and hope for a future or wish you are using the frontal lobes of your brain. Planning also uses the frontal lobes.

Next time I wish for a million dollars I will plan out how I can accomplish this. I mean I might as well seeing that my brain has the lobes active and running simply with the wish I am making.

Planning something is important because…

  1. It provides direction
  2. reduces wasteful activity
  3. forces us to confront all the parts of the wish or goal

Planning is the first step to making a wish a reality. Werther we admit it or not we are always planning sometimes it seems like an unconscious act. We set alarms and plan to wake up a certain time everyday. We schedule appointments with people and make reservations at restaurants.

Purposefully planning is powerful and effective and good for your brain. Next time you find yourself wishing for something start a plan by asking and answering questions.

  1. how much money is a million dollars?
  2. what is my current salary?
  3. How many hours are required at my current salary to earn a million dollars?
  4. what are my expenses?
  5. what is my net income per month week hour?
  6. How long will it take if all net income is saved?
  7. Are there other income sources?
  8. How much income?

You may or may not save a million dollars but, planning makes us ask and answer some hard questions and then take action concerning these questions. Take time today to plan and engage with your wishes and dreams.

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Change then change again then change again then …

Ok, Last week I mentioned that I was changing the day that I published my podcast. The change was going to be from Wednesdays to Fridays. Well if you are paying attention you will notice that the change did not happen. Friday came and went with no podcast. Why did this happen or happen? Obviously, I’m a liar, well that’s part of it. I became a liar on accident though.

Last week the change to Friday made sense all the way up until Friday then it didn’t. Sometimes that happens with plans.

If the plan doesn’t work change the plan but never the goal

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My goal is and will be to create a weekly interview podcast about things that interest me when the podcast gets published seems to be in a fluid state right now. As I type Monday afternoons are looking good for various reason however I am going to see what happens before I lie again.

In life we make goals some are big ones like graduate, get promoted, write a novel, have kids, volunteer, see the world. The goals will only happen if we have a plan though.

A goal without a plan is just a wish

antoine de saint-exupéry

Google, PayPal, and Apple have all made history as very successful companies and their business plans have all been changed throughout their history. The goals did not change but the plan to accomplish them did. Life will always throw you curve balls. The thing about curveballs is that you will need to adjust your swing and stance a little to get a good hit. The goal never changes if a strike is thrown you want to hit the ball well however, the plan to hit a curveball looks much differently than the one used to hit the fast ball.

Plans, people and life changes what matters most is that we love each other and work to help others and ourselves achieve our goals.

Which way

I grew up on the looney tunes. I loved watching the animals that spoke and acted like humans. One of my favorite skits or troupes even was the one with the hound that chases a fix and actually asks the fox for directions.

When I started this blog I had planned on writing once every weekday and then life happened. It was a great plan but the universe laughed at me.

I haven’t posted to this blog in a week and it feels like I have left but I didn’t. I am still here and my plan hasn’t changed. I still plan to post once a day and will I just didn’t do that for the last week.

We should of course make plans but we should also be flexible

A flexible plan is paramount to being a happy healthy person.

If you run into some things that do not fit into your plan just realize that life is and should be messy and we should forgive ourselves for not sticking with our plans.