When does planning get out of hand?
I ask this as someone who is not a really big planner. I am not a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of a gal, but I also do not schedule my every move.
I ask this because while I was typing out my schedule in my Blackberry, I realized that some things were being planned in September. It is only May. To me, this is a bit disturbing. I'm not even out of spring and yet I'm planning events in the dog days of summer. It is like my life is in fast forward.
But I know people who have things scheduled a year in advance. Which boggles my mind. How does anyone really know what they are doing in a year from now. I assume I'll still be here, doing what I normally do. But for all I know I could get a wild urge to join the circus and become a trapeez artist. I doubt that will happen, I am afraid of heights and I can't draw (wait for it...that one will come to you), but still...how does a person really know?
I once was told, "If you ever want to make God laugh, tell Him what your future plans are." I don't think He is laughing at our intentions, just the idea that we have any idea where we will be at what time in our lives. Let's face it, had you told me when I was 26 years old I would be married by 27 years old, I would have laughed until my ears bled. But WHAM...it happened and I didn't see it coming.
Does over planning take the surprises out of life? Because that is what I really am afraid of. If I plan everything....where are the "toy surprises" in our box of life. Some surprises life can keep it itself, things like death and mayhem. But some surprises are totally cool. Meeting new people, meeting old people, finding out you like to do something that you normally would never do. The husband and I had one of those nights, we went into a bar unplanned on our anniversary weekend and ended up having a blast. Had someone asked me before if I wanted to go and watch a one man band do 80s songs in an Irish bar, I would have declined. Turned out...it was a GREAT time...it was like a huge drunken sing a long with dancing in the aisles. That little unplanned event turned out to be exceptionally great.
Maybe it is a balance. Plan the things that must be done, but still have those impulsive moments. Fun cannot be forced....even though I was told as a kid that I would have to go have fun whether I liked it or not. I'm sure later on my parent rethought that phrase....but it was something that stuck with me. Funny thing is I don't remember the event or if I DID have fun or not. I just remember being told I must have fun. Oh I'm sure I have topped that with all the stuff I have yelled at the kids. Parents are a hoot sometimes with our logic. I've broken every rule I've ever had of things I would never tell my kids....at least 3x over and over again.
But I digress...
I ask this as someone who is not a really big planner. I am not a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of a gal, but I also do not schedule my every move.
I ask this because while I was typing out my schedule in my Blackberry, I realized that some things were being planned in September. It is only May. To me, this is a bit disturbing. I'm not even out of spring and yet I'm planning events in the dog days of summer. It is like my life is in fast forward.
But I know people who have things scheduled a year in advance. Which boggles my mind. How does anyone really know what they are doing in a year from now. I assume I'll still be here, doing what I normally do. But for all I know I could get a wild urge to join the circus and become a trapeez artist. I doubt that will happen, I am afraid of heights and I can't draw (wait for it...that one will come to you), but still...how does a person really know?
I once was told, "If you ever want to make God laugh, tell Him what your future plans are." I don't think He is laughing at our intentions, just the idea that we have any idea where we will be at what time in our lives. Let's face it, had you told me when I was 26 years old I would be married by 27 years old, I would have laughed until my ears bled. But WHAM...it happened and I didn't see it coming.
Does over planning take the surprises out of life? Because that is what I really am afraid of. If I plan everything....where are the "toy surprises" in our box of life. Some surprises life can keep it itself, things like death and mayhem. But some surprises are totally cool. Meeting new people, meeting old people, finding out you like to do something that you normally would never do. The husband and I had one of those nights, we went into a bar unplanned on our anniversary weekend and ended up having a blast. Had someone asked me before if I wanted to go and watch a one man band do 80s songs in an Irish bar, I would have declined. Turned out...it was a GREAT time...it was like a huge drunken sing a long with dancing in the aisles. That little unplanned event turned out to be exceptionally great.
Maybe it is a balance. Plan the things that must be done, but still have those impulsive moments. Fun cannot be forced....even though I was told as a kid that I would have to go have fun whether I liked it or not. I'm sure later on my parent rethought that phrase....but it was something that stuck with me. Funny thing is I don't remember the event or if I DID have fun or not. I just remember being told I must have fun. Oh I'm sure I have topped that with all the stuff I have yelled at the kids. Parents are a hoot sometimes with our logic. I've broken every rule I've ever had of things I would never tell my kids....at least 3x over and over again.
But I digress...
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