Saving...I have been thinking a lot lately about ‘life’ I am not sure if that is common to everyone, or more common for Plane Janes since we are constantly working on maximizing the moments of life when our families are together.
Anyway, I have always been the type of person that let life happen– not that I was not engaged-but I seriously think that there were a lot of wonderful things that can happen and so whatever does happen must be the best thing for me right now. For example, my hubs and I didn’t really every ‘plan’ to have kids, we just one day (without ANY thought about how hard babies were) decided that we were open to the idea and (of course) blamo– preggers that very month. I know you type A mamma’s out there are probably pulling your hair out right now:) I’m just not a planner. I don’t plan meals, I don’t plan much on trips I take, I don’t have decorating plans for our next home.…I just sorta work things out as they come. Now, I am not saying this is the best, or smartest way to live– I just can’t really help that is the way I operate for the most part. Do I think I have missed opportunities because of my lack of ‘planning’? I don’t know…I am sure I have. Do I think that my life would be better if I had a linear idea of what I wanted to come next and then acted on that? I don’t know. I can’t imagine what my life would be like had I done that. Does having a plan cause more stress than not having a plan? I don’t know the answer to that either. BUT what I have realized the past few days is that in the very least, the BIG things that I want for myself and for my family MUST be on my radar. I must define those BIG goals that I want to accomplish. I think focusing on the GOAL for me is enough to patch a haphazard plan together on how to get there and make things happen. I will never be the one to give you a TOP 10 WAYS TO PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE post. BUT what I can offer is encouragement– if you are a planner or not– THINK BIG. Have big goals for your life.
So often as a Plane Jane I would convince myself that my big plans were ridiculous because life would not allow the time/energy/money/confidence etc. to get there.
I know for a fact that is a BIG FAT UGLY LIE.
I swear to you, the moment you write down your BIG goal; even if you are like me and don’t plot the most direct route on how you are going to get there, you will arrive where you wanted to be. Doors will open, things will shift and even if it is not exactly the way you imagined-it will happen.
So ask yourself, what have you always wanted to do? What have you thought about, perhaps obsessed about and then pushed out of your mind because you didn’t think you could do it? Starting a business? Starting a blog? Going back to school? Quitting your job to stay home with your kids? Training for a Marathon?
I have had a goal for many, many, many years. I was always too scared, to insecure in my abilities etc. to ever go right at it but it has always been there– burning inside me AND I am telling you, today my roundabout lack of life plan has once again set me right down where I wanted to be.
I double dog dare you to put it here, put out your BIG FAT DREAM in black and white.
(if this feels a little scary that is GOOD, that means that it is the kind of BIG thing I am talking about!)
As soon as you do, things will start moving…Don’t let the fact that you are a Plane Jane, or a tired mom get in the way of putting it out there. You deserve to get there. You CAN get there. If things work for this plan-less lady, I promise it will work for you.
So what is your big fat goal? Mine was to loose 85 lb. it was to hard to keep up with being a Plane Jane as you say. I am almost there. 10 lb to go!
You are so right we need to make time for our families but balancing that with taking care of ourselves.
I’m a planner. Even if my plan doesn’t work out, at least I’ve got one to fall back on and that’s saved my butt more times than I can count. Having a plan and being organized has also enabled me to be more spontaneous oddly enough. When I had two kids it wasn’t a huge problem to stop at the store and grab what I needed as I needed it. Even if they were a little cranky when we went, it was a bit of a pain, but it was managable. Now that we have five (and 3 of them are under 6) I can’t even imagine what a trip to the store would be like if I didn’t know what I was there to get (my mind goes blank the minute we walk through the doors and I can’t remember if we need toilet paper or milk or diapers..) or if I tried to go when the little ones should be napping and no one had eaten a snack… just the thought of it gives me chills, lol.
If I plan ahead of time, we can go get groceries and then stop at the park before we head home because I planned ahead. The thermal bags are packed with the regular reusable bags (so the cold stuff stays cold for long enough), I’ve got my grocery list so I don’t forget anything, our “park bag” is packed and in the van (hats, sunscreen, water bottle, & granola bars) and everyone went to the bathroom before we left the house and again before we left the store. Everyone ate lunch before we left the house so that no one’s asking for treats at the store, and I’ve got granola bars for the park because I know they’ll be ready for a snack then).
When I don’t plan, it’s stressful, everyone’s crying or close to it (me included!) and it’s expensive, lol!. A trip to the nearest fast food place because “I didn’t plan ahead and now everyone’s starving” can easily cost $40 or more… do that a couple times a week and now I’m spending hundreds of dollars a month on junk food simply because I wasn’t organized and didn’t have a plan. And now McDonald’s isn’t a treat, it’s part of our regular diet. And the “extra” money my husband’s making isn’t going to getting our family ahead, it’s being spent on convenience — and we’re no further ahead, we’re just more stressed. Lol…kinda sounds like we figured all this out the hard way huh?
It’s a lot to remember and a lot to keep track of, but it makes things run so much easier for us. Plus, for me, having a plan and putting it on paper means I don’t have to keep track of it in my head anymore. I can think about it once, write it down and refer to it later instead of trying to remember. I’ve learned from experience that if I try to remember on my own, I’ll forget, lol.
We have big dreams too… without them (and without our plan to get there) we wouldn’t be spending two months in Hawaii this December/January.
I like the idea of planing in order to be spontaneous. I am a fly by the seat of my pants girl. It sounds like a lot of trial and error to have the solutions you do. Thanks for sharing some of your ideas. I know they will help me. thanks
I’m not really much of a planner myself, but I have impossible crazy goals that I HAVE to accomplish. I have no idea how I can get there, or how I will motivate myself to work hard enough to complete it, all I know is it must be done. Please reply back, I need some advice on where to go next.(sorry if my spelling is not very good, I’m a terrible speller)
Zazie,
I typically just dive in head first:) If it is signing up for the marathon or buying the “blogging for dummies” book:)
So glad you are here! What are your crazy dreams?!?!
This article spoke to me! My big goal is to quit my full time job and work part time only so that I can be home with my only child when she gets home from school. I want to train in another field that would give me a good paying FLEXIBLE job. My husband travels during the week for his job so it’s only me taking of everything during the week. I’m tired of it and feel like it would help my daughter especially when her Dads not here a lot. This is what I want but it’s difficult and hard to do because I have a good secure job that I’ve been at for many years and it makes my husband very nervous financially, still I want to figure out a way to achieve this!
to the point he won’t support me in trying to do this. But it doesn’t change the fact that this is still my big GOAL!
I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time as well. With a husband that travels all the time on an inconsistent schedule, it seems any plan I make is always changing anyway. I do want to finish college, however, and I’M DOING IT! We’ve arranged our lives around my schedule instead and fitting him in when he’s here. It’s very hard, but I know it will be worth it in the end.
[…] that I would try my hand at working part-time and being an actual mom for more than 1 hour a day (remember my BIG dream?? it came true!) (no offense to working moms out there– it is all I have known really so believe me, I don’t […]