I have a ritual every year by January 1st. To support the planning and prioritizing aspect of my executive functioning, I sit down with a piece of paper, some colored pencils, and my planner.
I dream big, drawing what I would like to happen over the next 12 months. I always find the possibilities of a new year exciting and invigorating. I also love mapping out my vacation dates in my fresh new Seeing My Time planner!
But this year…My brain freezes before I can pick up a pencil.
Plan? How can I plan? This crazy pandemic world jerks me around like I am on the end of a yo-yo.
Some days I confidently move forward with plans, feeling grounded in the new normal. But before I know it, I have accidentally listened to the news and I want to hide in my kitchen, listen only to classical music and never leave my house.
Now, if you think I’m being a bit over-emotional, the truth is that the real world keeps messing with my plans. I have made plane reservations for three trips in January and February. Six weeks in advance the airlines arbitrarily changed all of those flights. One trip now has a 5:12 AM departure (I would NEVER plan a departure time like that anymore), and another flight actually got moved to the NEXT day! Argh… So what’s a person to do?
I was recently talking about this planning dilemma with an older and wiser woman. She counseled me that – like it or not – the new normal is that old-fashioned predictability is gone. We’ve got to accept that, move on, and approach planning with a flexible brain.
She told me to always create a plan A and a fall-back plan B. Your preferred plan A might actually happen, so plan it so you can do it. While Plan A might get ditched, you are still ready with your plan B.
I found her advice very helpful and calming. If my trip to Greece next spring (which has moved three times already) doesn’t happen, I am not staying home and crying in my bed. I’ll be using that scheduled vacation time for a birding trip to southern Arizona. And, my plan C…head to Central Oregon where I can always rent a vacation home!
So my friends, as I always teach in my Seeing My Time program: Plan! Don’t be afraid to set up a backup plan for fun and take the steps to make it happen.
Here’s to creating some enjoyable adventures in 2022, regardless of whether or not they are your first choice. I will close with this quote: “Life is the graceful execution of Plan B.”
May you have a peaceful and healthy New Year.
Marydee
Marydee Sklar is the president of Executive Functioning Success and the creator of the Seeing My Time Program® and the Set Up Success and Seeing My Time® planners. She is an educator and author of three books on executive functions, as well as a trainer and speaker. Marydee has more than twenty-five years of experience working with students and adults with executive function challenges.
How to Banish Unrealistic Expectations and Set your Child up for Success (at Every Age!)
12 Executive Functions of the Brain Spotlight: #6: Mental Flexility
12 Executive Functions of the Brain Spotlight: #5 Task Initiation
12 Executive Functions of the Brain Spotlight: #4 Prioritization