We’ve been working to set up plans with our neighbors to take a short trip. And, as with any planning work, as I’ve learned, a lot more goes into it than one might think.
Since we became good friends, we’ve talked about finding some time to take a one-night trip somewhere, and we’ve also discussed longer opportunities to vacation. And, as life would have it, something always comes up for one of us (whether it be professionally or personally) that makes it incredibly difficult to put a plan into practice.
As I thought about our most recent rescheduling (this time, due to an error that I made in my own work schedule), I realized that connection that exists between planning personally, and doing so professionally.
Here are some of the similarities:
· In both cases, it is infinitely harder to put together a plan than we might think. Plans are rarely about one side. The minute we attempt to change something, we have to understand that we are impacting many other people.
· Planning, or planning well, anyway, requires a substantial amount of pre-planning. As we found with our first attempt at travelling together, there was much more that had to go into prepping for a trip than if we were simply planning as one family.
· A purpose needs to be determined if planning is to go well. Whether it be about traveling or whether it be about designing professional development, if we aren’t sure why we’re looking to do what we’re doing, then our plan, and any potential deliverables, are likely lost.
We’ve got plans on the agenda for a trip this coming spring. And, like any plans, we know we have to be ready to adjust, as needed. The great part about doing any planning, of course, is that once we accept that things are rarely set in stone, we become much more comfortable with change!