Do you spend a lot of time making up complicated plans? It’s normal to try and give something a clear shape, and to pursue a tangible outcome. It helps makes sense of things for you and for other people.
But just as I am striving to avoid chasing daily achievements, I am also experimenting with an aversion to aiming for any kind of final outcome.
My vacation in The Fog has led me to ponder a lot about outcomes. It has made me think that wherever I want to go, a plan is unlikely to get me there. A reassuring plan might cause me to ignore what’s actually unfolding unexpectedly around me: speeding to a linear destination with blinkers on can get me where I want, but fail to realise what could have been.
Besides, in situations arising from an intuitive decision, there is no answer to “why did you do it and what’s the plan?”, only answers to “what are you learning along the way?”
Maybe a famous poet can say it better; here’s a good quote: “Walker, there is no path; the path is made by walking” (Antonio Machado).
Having a plan and intended outcome means there is one possibility. Not having one opens up an infinite amount of possibilities, as long as one is prepared to see them and pursue those that feel good. Most likely there will be lots of surprises, nice and nasty, all valuable.
Planlessness can bring a feeling of pointlessness and consequent doubt. So I need to stuff my bumbag full of open-mindedness and confidence…although those two particular companions do easily escape and run off.
I’m having a go at trusting my ability to shape my future, more than my ability to predict it.
