I saw this sign on the way to the Finger Lakes in New York and knew there was a blog post just waiting to be written. No doubt you know who in your close circle is like you and who is different when discussing planning. Are your weekends planned in 15-minute increments or do you default to spontaneity? The good news is that you can find plenty of others on the Internet, to vehemently agree with your position and lambaste the opponents. As with most topics, the healthy position is probably somewhere in the middle. In an effort to have a healthy marriage, my wife and I are different and this gives us plenty of opportunities to communicate. She would like a bit more planning and I am good with a bit more free flow. Thankfully, neither of us are at the extremes as this may force too much communication and perhaps a conflict or two. How well do you know yourself, your tendencies and how this affects those close to you? Our planning style can have a huge negative impact on those around us. Too much may feel like micro-managing and too little may not give the leadership and direction required for the organization. Since my tendency leans toward less planning, I have to set up auto-pay services to ensure the bills are paid in a timely manner and include appointments on the phone calendar to ensure I arrive on time. Planning is similar to eating a healthy diet; there are always little improvements that can be tweaked to get us a bit closer to our goals. Short-term tweaks may include saying "no" to the donut and long-term may include getting the retirement plan squared-away. Regardless of your increments, whether 1 or a Million miles, buckle up and enjoy the ride; you may even consider seeing what is at the end of that dirt road that isn't on the map.
How does your workplace support your default planning personality? What elements of planning do you need to improve? What elements of planning do you need to plan in flexibility? How do you use your planning defaults to hide? How has your planning changed? What tactics do you use to overcome planning weaknesses?