Planning may be counter productive to daily happiness.
Please discuss. How does this play out in life?
I’ll start us out. Many of us are planners. We have budgets, short-term and long-term goals, and likely a game plan for how we’ll navigate life. Planning isn’t a negative thing. it may help us reach financial goals, obtain an education, purchase a home, retire comfortably. The issue occurs when we expect our plans to be static. Something will inevitably come along to disrupt the assumptions underlying our plans. 2020 has provided such shake ups for many of us.
Today’s message reminds me to be flexible; plans need to be dynamic. When the scenarios supporting my plans shift, it is important not to react emotionally. I will simply make myself unhappy and the facts will not have changed. If I view revising my plans as a tactical exercise, I come from a neutral space and can be more effective without emotional resistance tripping me up. My daily ongoing happiness doesn’t need to be affected by new circumstances requiring alteration of my plans. Happiness cannot be planned. It needs to simply be experienced.
How about you? What pros and cons do you find in planning?