or, Beyond what you thought you could do…
Of course this means something different for everyone. Some people are very flexible, and I’m not just talking physically. Some people are very accommodating and will easily bend to meet the needs of others. Some think best when put into situations where they have to think of things on the fly, sort of an ‘Impromptu’ for life.
I’m not saying you need a plan for every single thing that you do, and that you need to stick by that plan and not bend. However, the more I read and research and the more I uncover, I find there is a disturbing trend. There are several books, and articles that talk about planning and what it means. I think very few of us actually do any real planning. I know I for one am not particularly good at doing this. Not because I don’t know how. But more because I find I don’t spend the time to do it. I can plan, and plan quite well, but its in bits and spurts. The type of planning I’m talking about is on a regular basis, such as once a month, once a week, once a whatever, take time for yourself and plan. Plan out, what are your goals, what do you want to do, and what you want to accomplish. In one of the books I’m reading they say “the way to your dreams is to have an end date”. In other words, identify what your goal or dream is, and then set a date when you are going to accomplish it.
I had heard about this concept, it’s called the Rocking Chair technique. The idea is that when you are old you are sitting in a rocking chair and you describe your life. I’ve mentioned similar concepts in prior blogs. Recently I came across a blog that provides a similar but more drastic take on this… He calls it the “Get hit by a bus today and die”. His point is a little more direct but the underlying question was still pretty obvious… you get hit by a bus today, what are you happy with, what would you regret and what do you wish you had done. His suggestion, and I whole-heartedly agree with… when you know the answers to those questions… then go plan out what you should be doing next.
The question comes into play is, if you know what you should be doing next, then when are 
you going to get going on doing it ? Are you flexible enough to change yourself ? What is it going to take to change ? I worked with one really amazing lady, when we talked about change, she said to me “People won’t change unless it’s a 9”. Huh ? What do you mean, a “9” ? She said, “When you go to the hospital, and the doctor says to you, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, rate your level of pain. Change is like pain, unless it’s really a pain, people aren’t necessarily inspired/dedicated/driven/motivated (use whatever in here) to make a change”. A “9” huh ? I though that this is a very high number. But then when I started to look around, and observed, I could see it. Most people are very resistant to change. Fear of the unknown, apprehension ? you pick what ever it is that motivates you to change. Don’t get me wrong, there are those that will make changes to their life seemingly quickly and easily. Good for you, if this fits you !
If you ever get the chance to, I would recommend reading a book called “The Monk who sold his Ferrari”. There are a number of interesting ideas and techniques that I’m sure you will associate with. I think the ideas expressed in the book are such that anyone can easily understand and incorporate into their lives… if they wish to. If you don’t associate with the ideas, then at the very least it’s an entertaining read.
So back to planning and bending. The initial idea is that you should have a plan, but I think that not that many of us actually do. So go out and get a plan, and then just like any good plan, make sure that you revisit it often and expect it to change, because it will. Likely your plan today will not be the same plan you have a year from now. Let your plan be flexible and change as you grow over time.
Maybe you should try to go beyond your flexibility… give it a try, who knows where it’ll take you.
I think that sometimes its easier to bend your body than it is to bend your mind !