Planning Brings Me Joy…And It’s Still Hard

Before diving in, I want to make sure you know that I’m hosting a workshop called Reconnecting to Your Purpose and Balance on December 6th at 10 AM PST / 12 PM CT / 1 PM EST. This workshop will be a chance to explore your goals across all dimensions of wellness. This isn’t about productivity hacks or doing more; it’s about finding YOUR pace and creating an approach that honors your natural rhythms. Check out more details here.

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Now, back to what I want to share.

I’ve been writing a lot lately about balance and the different dimensions of wellness (here and here). The more I explore this, the more I realize how many nuances we don’t talk about enough.

I personally love planning. If you know me well, you know I nerd out about this topic. It genuinely brings me energy. I also have a lot of curiosity learning what other people do, and have a deep passion to share with people what I have learned as I have tested things over time. People often see me as organized and on top of everything. But here’s the truth: I’d like to always be on top of things, but what I’ve learned is that finding balance is a process that needs constant adjustment. It takes time and work to keep reassessing what works for me in that moment of time.

My struggle isn’t usually the planning itself. It is making time for it or recognizing when I need to reset and rethink my system. One of the main ways I overcome this is by asking for help. Here are some resources that support me:

• Buddy system: I rely on an accountability buddy or body doubling. This is when you both get on Zoom and co-work together. I can’t emphasize enough how powerful this is. I’m sure there’s science behind why it works, but all I know is that it does. One great co-working space for BIPOC women that I recommend is hosted by Kelli King-Jackson here.
• Coaching: As a coach, I believe in the power of coaching and verbal processing, so I always make sure to have my own coach. I use my sessions to get to the heart of what’s getting in the way. Just recently, I was feeling really ungrounded. My to-do list was just kind of there but not strategic. After talking it through with my coach, it became clear that I needed a new system. I’m in a new season, and a new season means a new pace. A new pace needs a new system to find the balance I want.

Here’s my second confession: there was a time when I really struggled with this whole concept. On one hand, planning makes me feel grounded and brings me joy. On the other hand, the more I studied concepts like white supremacy culture, the more conflicted I felt. I thought to myself: ‘Wait, productivity is a key trait of white supremacy culture that we are conditioned to believe is the way to be, but it is harmful. Is planning connected to productivity and is that bad? But then, how do we organize our lives?’ Yeah…it took some time to process.

Over time, I concluded that planning itself isn’t the problem. The key is incorporating elements that feel connected to liberation. What do I mean by that? Here are some ways I think about it:

• Having a pace that works for me.
• Recognizing the systems built to keep me busy and off balance. And, because of this, give myself grace when I lose that balance and focus on being intentional about finding my way back to feeling grounded.
• Centering self-care. My planning incorporates tending to my 8 dimensions of wellness.
• Recognizing that my life and body go through seasons just like nature does, and planning around that.

I know this list will continue evolving as I do.

The takeaway is this: Being organized and planning are often talked about as important and portrayed as easy. But here’s the truth: even people like me, who are hosting a workshop on this topic, have our own struggles with it. It takes work, time, and consistent check-ins to find a way that works for you. Oftentimes, we feel like we don’t have that time because life keeps us over busy, which makes it hard to prioritize. So, even making that time takes effort.

So, if you’re ever feeling stuck, just remember you’re not alone. It’s OK to ask for help. One way you can ask for help is by coming to my workshop! (Sorry, I just couldn’t resist inserting that.) But seriously, this is why I’m doing the workshop, and I’d love for you to join me.

Until then, I leave you with these questions:

• What’s your relationship with planning?
• What does your system currently look like, and is it still working for you?
• When do you know it’s time to shift to a new system?
• What season are you in right now, and what pace does that season call for?