I’m a scheduler, a planner, I live and die by the agenda, and I relish crossing off the items on my To-Do List. Creating my battle plan, devising tactics for reaching my goals, and knowing what to expect given various scenarios keep me sane. Knowing where I’m going keeps my anxiety monster resting in his cage and helps me manage my stress levels. My plans are never perfect. They are riddled with crossed-off appointments, scratched out and rewritten chores, inserted spur-of-the-moment activities, and scribbled notes for when my priorities change.

People question why I bother when everything is subject to modification, adjustments, or deletion at any point during my day. I persevere because it is my drill practice, my training session, and my dress rehearsal. I conceive my strategies, tactics, and plotting with a single purpose—to win the day, moved toward my goal, and reach my objective. Long-term destinations are elusive when you wander along pretty but aimless paths. Fording rivers is much more difficult when you attempt the crossing in the middle of the rapids during flood season, rather than choosing a better season and an alternate location.

I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t predict the challenges my day will throw at me. Making plans does not ensure I won’t encounter obstacles, but it helps me to anticipate, adapt and devise solutions on the fly. It also helps me to say no to some fun diversions. While I might enjoy them, I would also regret indulging in them if it meant I missed taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime event. That is reason enough to continue.

How do you approach your day?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer