Planning

“Mother gave me support with one of her terse asides: ‘That’s what you want to do? Then nothing beats a trial but a failure. Give it everything you’ve got .I’ve told you many times, can’t do is like don’t care. Neither of them have a home.’” Maya Angelou, in “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”

I know there can be such a thing as too much planning, but you can’t deny that a little planning often makes life easier. Uncertainty is one of the most difficult things to live with, and leads to a lot of stress. Admittedly, planning ahead does not remove all uncertainty. But, as the saying goes, it’s great to have a plan to deviate from.

If plan A doesn’t work, then you can move on to plan B, or plan C, or plan D, and so on. One of the good things about planning is that it enables you to prioritise. If you can take the time out to think about it, you can recognise your values, and know what is important to you. Then you can make sure that those are the things that you put first in your life. Everything else is fitted around that solid foundation of contentment.

I believe that mostly, we have time for the things we make time for. If you say that you don’t have time to meditate, or you don’t have time to do a daily yoga practice, but you spend 20 minutes scrolling through Facebook, or take three cigarette breaks a day, then it’s clear what you have prioritised.

What is most important in your life? How can you demonstrate that through your actions? How can you plan your time to make time for the things that you really value?

I’m confident that planning, on its own, cannot make us happy. I’m also confident that lack of planning can lead to increased levels of stress. Put a smile on your face by doing today at least one thing that you really want to do, even if it’s just for a minute or two.

© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2021

Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity and compassion