Planning. We’ve all heard it. I know I have, over and over. Actually, I really like to plan but putting a plan to work, consistently, is quite different. I can spend a whole day just creating plans and it’s lovely, but if I don’t act on those plans it’s worthless.
I have completely wasted whole days deep in planning for my future, for my family’s goals, just to turn around and create another and another. None of which I actually act on. See it’s not that I don’t want to be prepared but I mix up what being prepared is with perfectionistic planning.
I’m learning to make realistic plans and I’m going to share these ideas with you in this post.
The Preparation SERIES
I’m Not Prepared! – Get Prepared.
Preparation Comes by Consistency
Preparation Comes by Planning (you are here)
When I’m busy making plans, I am not actually focused on the reality, the outplay of those plans. I’m more focused on trying to achieve some amount of perfectionism in my life. A REAL plan looks at the REAL lives, REAL energy, REAL money, and REAL opportunities. You aren’t going to be prepared if you don’t figure in how much time you will actually have to complete the task.
Going back to doing things in bits, you may have to even tweak your plans based on the time you have. Can you really get all the dishes done before it’s time for your toddlers nap? Or will he start acting out or making messes before you finish? Will you really have the energy to make that meal on a Thursday night, even if it is junior’s birthday or should you prep it the Saturday before? Maybe you should simply move the celebration meal to the following weekend.
I know all of this may seem simple but some, like me, just never thought of it in that way. Maybe you used to think of it but since having littles you’ve cascaded into only seeing what’s coming the next few hours.
If you were never taught how to make plans and be prepared (or you’ve honestly got lost in motherhood and need help to get back in front of the rolling boulder) here are some things you need to consider:
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Where you are going and where you’d like to be?
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What is the simplest route to get to where you’d like to be?
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How can you make sure you’ll arrive there?
When you can answer these questions, specifically, you can make concrete plans. But the problem comes …
What if you don’t know the answer to one of these?
Truly this is the stickiness of being prepared when you don’t know how to get prepared. If you don’t know your destination, yes, you are in big trouble. If you can’t figure it out, you can ask your beloved husband to help. But if you take a moment, a non-interrupted, no-baby-crying moment, you will usually realize your goals and desires for your life.
Look at one area or task. It doesn’t have to be dishes or meal planning, it could be going back to school to push forward your career or developing your relationship with your teenager. But for the purposes of this blog let’s say it is food. Ask yourself, why is it I can’t stay on top of the groceries? Then answer the 3 questions above:
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I’d like to save money on food and have easy meals so we stop eating out.
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The simplest route is to figure out the meals before going shopping.
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I need to have time I sit down and write out what meals and the needed ingredients (grocery list) before shopping day.
Since you are making plans, not just long-term but short-term like dinner tonight or what your 6-year-old should wear to school tomorrow, you will begin to quickly see where you are going and where you’d like to be.
Each task, big or small, has a goal, so start there. You might not find your simplest route right away, but try to think about it. The most logical path to your goals can be your starting place. I will talk more about that in the last post in this series.
The Preparation SERIES
I’m Not Prepared! – Get Prepared.
Preparation Comes by Consistency
Preparation Comes by Planning (you are here)
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