As we continue our tour through the 5 Disciplines in The 12 Week Year, we acknowledge our Vision and begin routing a map toward it… with a Plan.

I’ve always liked to think of plans as just “doing the maze backwards” like on those kid menus with crayons I’ve definitely been tempted to request for my own enjoyment in adulthood. I digress.

“Doing the Maze Backwards” just means knowing where I want to end up and plotting a path backwards from there.

Example:
If I want to post a blog this week and I assume it takes around 10 steps to do so, the 9th step (just before completing my goal successfully) is likely having something drafted & revised…perhaps some sort of content that seems up to my unique standards and – in my opinion – ready to post.

Then for step 10 I can just…Hit the “Publish” button.

The steps just before that become a bit more obvious once I know what needs to be finalized for me to consider myself done with step 9/10.

Discipline 2: Planning

An effective plan clarifies and focuses on the top priority initiatives & actions needed to achieve the vision.
A good plan is constructed in a manner that facilitates effective implementation.

The 12 Week Year (Moran, Lennington 2013). Chapter 12

Planning has been a passion of mine for a while, so I’m digging deep for these myths that used to get in my way.

The fact of the matter is, my Future Self LOVES that I plan. I do it as a favor to her. If she knows what her role is and where she’s headed, it becomes much easier for her to show up to building my dream in a sustainable way.

{Also! You might notice I’m dropping the “Fact” verbiage to contrast our Myths. All of the statements on this blog are based in my opinion, so we’re going with Reframing these Myths instead for the time being}

MYTH: I prefer to just live in the present moment. Plans are too rigid and don’t account for anything unexpected. Best to just wing it.
REFRAME: Having a plan actually allows us to more fully relax into the present moment! Knowing what comes next is inherently de-stressing to our nervous systems. The Unknown is one of humanity’s biggest stressors. This is why being in the habit of a structured schedule can actually reduce anxiety for many individuals. Building and sticking to such a schedule is a whole ‘nother conversation, though.

MYTH: Plans take too long and I’m not sure how I would go about laying it all out anyway. Better wing it and hope for the best.
REFRAME: According to Brian Moran & Michael Lennington, planning actually reduces the amount of time it takes to execute a goal by around 20%! By deciding ahead of time what happens when, we have the option to make our active time working toward that goal much more efficient & effective.

MYTH: Whenever I make a long-term plan, I get overwhelmed by all the steps between me and success…or I forget about the plan entirely after a few days and I just end up winging it.
REFRAME: It can definitely look overwhelming to see all those to-do’s in one place, and yet somehow it’s possible to get it all done if you allow yourself enough time and break it down into smaller, more approachable projects & tasks. Maybe we won’t get to that goal by tomorrow, but would it be possible next year? What about in 12 weeks? What sort of progress might be possible if we let go of the expectations of Instant Gratification with Minimal Effort?

MYTH: The world’s ending anyway. Why plan ahead at all? I have no guarantee of tomorrow and I just want to be left in peace so I can live for today.
REFRAME: ….You good, bro? Seems like the Nihilism bug got you pretty bad. As far as I’m aware, mortality has been a thing for most (if not all) of human history… and we been hearing the world’s going to end for literal centuries so….are we just gonna twiddle our thumbs till then?

Yeah, no, I have other stuff I want to get to first.
Enjoy that mindset, though. I hope it gets you where you most want to be.

The process of building toward something bigger works better for my mental health, personally.

My Future Self and I have a good relationship, and Planning is a huge reason why that continues to be a point of pride for me.

Everything Present Me can Plan and prepare is one less thing that would be expected of my Future Self before she can reach her goals.

What sort of things do you wish your Past Self had handled for you already?

Is there anything small you can do today to make your Future any easier?