Let Your Mind Take the Lead

Why it's okay NOT to have a plan.

BY JULIE CHEN

You would not define me as a rebel, but if there's one thing I've defied my whole life, it's planning.
Now let me explain why planning is a concept worth ditching.

1. Nothing ever turns out like you think it will. 
Think of a train driving along a railroad - one little kink in the track and the whole train reels off the mountainside. All the effort spent laying down tracks beyond that kink will have gone to waste. 

In essence, plans are like train tracks. One little slip and everything you planned for could be sent staggering in a whole different direction. You would be better off spending the time used on planning to improve the present moment. Concentrate on the now, strive to make every second wholesome, and eventually you will arrive at the best destination achievable, not a destination you planned for with meager foresight.

2. Planning limits imagination and spontaneity.
Life is all about balance. Plan too little and you risk regret, plan too much and, well, you risk regret. When we abandon efforts to brainstorm perpetually in exchange for an idle reliance on pre-prepared plans, we miss out on a variety of potential innovative ideas. By not restricting our actions to a schedule, we are not hindering chances of over-achievement.

3. You become averse to unplanned opportunities and adventures.
When we plan, we are also passively sorting out our priorities. However, sometimes our priorities get in the way of unplanned events, which we too often mistakenly dismiss as obstacles instead of opportunities. We become so preoccupied with doing things according to plan and accomplishing things on time that we become single-minded and mechanical. 

There's a reason why you haven't been replaced with a robot yet. 

4. Real life is never like paperwork. 
When you hack your way through life and cross the bridge when you come to it, you learn to adapt. Avert problems by spontaneous ingenuity and you gain experience exponentially. In the long run it is always the flexible who succeed. If you haven't realized by now, misfortune is as creative as Picasso on drugs. The only way you're going to avoid muddling your plan is to not have one. You will be surprised how events seem to naturally unravel!