Simplicity by Sunny

When I became an “official” adult – that is, old enough to legally smoke cheroots in the swanky cigar bar on Adams Street - I found myself addicted to a very strange thing.  My daily planner.  A leather-bound planner signified adulthood to me, mostly because my dad always had one.  And, boy howdy, I wanted to be grown-up!  Naturally, then, I needed a fancy planner to track my adult life.  

I can’t tell you, because I honestly don’t know, how much time I spent with this planner.  I religiously updated my daily tasks list, goal lists, and project lists.  My life was merely a compilation of lists.  I didn’t do anything on those lists, I only planned out each step – in excruciating detail - of everything I should do.

One day, I decided to throw it all away.  Being me, shredding or recycling the 35-pound monstrosity wouldn’t suffice.  I set a match to every list, appointment, and goal.  Knowing I didn’t have to consult it daily, or get frustrated when my lists weren’t working, I was suddenly much happier.  I’d been released from Planner Prison.  It only made sense, then, to give up goals forever.  “I’m NEVER planning ANYTHING!  Ever!  Again!” I exclaimed while watching all of my time management accessories burn.

Although I admire my enthusiasm, my extreme shift toward No-Plan-Land was self-defeating.  I became vulnerable to the plans that other people had for me.  I gave up dreaming.  My optimism faded.  

After taking several years off from goal-setting, I decided to try it again.  With help from my ever-trusty Excel spreadsheet, I recently mapped out 10 goals.  When I say “mapped out”, I really mean it!  I’m a recovering Type A - NOT a recovered Type A.  I designed master goal dates, step-by-step guides, seperate worksheets to track my progress. 

What was I thinking!?  This is NOT simple. 

More importantly, it’s not productive.  My 10 goals are irrelevant after several unexpected shifts these past three months.  When I think of the days – days - that I spent grooming this list, tears form.  I could’ve spent that time throwing back tequila and dancing on the tables at my favorite Mexican restaurant (equally unproductive, but much more fun).

I decided to change my approach after reading this excellent paragraph by Leo Babauta (you can read his entire post here):

I don’t make plans, because they’re an illusion — you never know what will happen in a year or even six months. You can try to control what happens, but you’ll lose. Things always come up, sometimes good and sometimes bad, that will disrupt plans. Instead, I’ve learned to go with the flow, to not worry about things that disrupt plans but worry about what to do right now. This allows me to take advantage of opportunities to come up that I could never have planned for, to work on things I couldn’t have known about, to make decisions about what’s best right now, not what I planned a few months ago.

I’ve decided to upgrade goal setting, rather than give them up altogether.  Out go the lists, graphs, charts, and timelines (again).  Now I’m following the 3-D’s that I find personally meaningful:  (1) Direction, (2) Dreams, (3) Desires.

Direction because I need to know whether to turn toward complexity or simplicity.  Dreams because I need to know which commitments are needed to get where I want to go.  Desires because I want to savor every taste, touch, and sight (a.k.a. enjoying the hell out of life).  Otherwise, I’m welcoming serendipity.  The unexpected possibilities. 

No spreadsheets.  No ambitious goal list begging for frustration.  I’m moving forward, instead, by chasing experiences that bring joy each day.  Pursuits that bring out the best in me.  Doing what’s right – not in the last moment, or the next moment, but in this moment.  I’m not worried about the future, though tomorrow will surely have adventure.  I’m delightfully wrapped up in right now. 

I’m done with setting fire to 35 pounds of time management.  But I’ll never stop setting fire to each day.