This ultra-famous quote from John Lennon resonates daily with me.
I am particularly future-oriented and I like to have plans. And I don’t like things that have not been planned. And guess what – my long term plans are often defeated by the reality of life. On a daily basis.
Is the solution not making plans at all? I don’t think so, because only plans allow to move forward toward what we have chosen at that time to be our goal. Only through planning can we have follow-through. Still, flexibility is necessary to accommodate what really happens. Does that change our goal, our purpose? Not necessarily, it just makes the way to get there more uncertain.
Those moments where the plans we had made and cherished for weeks or months find themselves completely torn apart by the reality of our life are fundamental moments that define our destiny. When we realize that reality does not fit any more with our plans is when we take the true bold decisions that will determine the direction of our life. These are the decisions to life with a partner, to have children, to change fundamentally one’s career…
The key is to be able to see that the discrepancy between your plans and reality increases to a point where a fundamental reframing has to take place. It should not happen too often, it should not happen too rarely. But when it happens… let it be!
