What’s The Plan, Jan??
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ― Mary Oliver
To plan is to move forward, to make progress and build the life you love. Without a plan, well…. Does the phrase “flapping in the wind” conjure up any other ideas?
When you examine your life looking in the rear-view mirror, what are the times you’ve been seriously happy and productive and feeling that hum of the best life you can experience? As you look out the windshield, what does your life look like with the same considerations in mind? And how exactly do you build the life you love? How do you look forward and build meaningful connections and make the so-called progress you desire happen?
Here’s the truth: none of us know where life is headed. Plans are key, to be sure. If you don’t plan, you don’t progress. You have to learn how to dig into and get clear on your own purpose and vision – why are you doing what you’re putting your one precious life into? If it’s not the hum that you want, how do you shift? And is simply ambling along in the “life’s okay” zone acceptable?
Here’s the great news: you get to choose. You get to choose your path, the connections and relationships you build, the career you want. They all start from scratch, so learning how to make all of them happen is key. The intention is part of the key as well. Without intention (purpose, a North Star) then you’re still wandering about, ping-ponging through life.
If you want to know the game of your life and get really dialed into it, then be intentional. Choose people who inspire you, who are positive and willing to invent, innovate and recreate. Give yourself permission to let go of and step away from negative and unhelpful relationships. Explore and experiment and discover what does make you hum (thanks, Shonda Rhimes for that idea)!
Like my friend, the remarkable and tenacious Rhonda Kallman told me once, learn to manage your expectations. With a plan, you can. Without it, good luck. With a plan you can build anything, without it, you’re wasting precious energy and time and resources.
Want to learn more about career planning? Reserve your seat for Designing Your Journey: Career Planning on Thursday, December 5th at the inaugural Women in Craft Forum in Louisville, Kentucky. Get real-world tools, tactics and strategy you can apply immediately to better and best connect straight from a group of game-changers.
Learn more at GingerJohnson.com
