Finding Freedom with a Solid (But Flexible!) Plan

Some days come at us like a mad rush of water after a record-breaking rainstorm.

Once the surge starts, nothing can stand in its way.

Do you feel like your daily life is akin to drinking from a fire hose? 

Ya…we don’t recommend that – but we have been where you are.

If we let it, the pull of the stress-filled day can threaten to carry us away, leaving us feeling spent AND unfulfilled. 

Why? Because the things we find truly important were shoved aside by the current of consistent distraction.

So, how do we break free from this cycle of fatigue and lack? By creating a solid plan for how we want to spend our time and doing something each day to work toward our goals!

Take Your Time Back!

We’ve said it before, and we will say it again:

Your time is your most valuable asset.

Every breath you take – inhale – is one that – exhale – now belongs to the past.

And the past is time we can’t get back…so we’d better make the present count!

You spend your (life)time on many things in a day – sleeping, eating, working, watching Netflix, etc. – the activities abound!

But – unless you jumped into it intentionally, like Alice – when you’re spiraling into a (Facebook or YouTube) rabbit hole, you’re likely not thinking about how you’re spending your time.

And wasted time could have been spent doing something you love – like walking your dog or talking with your family… 

Or trying something you’ve always wanted to do – like learning how to make a cheese soufflé, or taking snowboarding lessons!

We can’t be present every moment of every day – that’s not how our mammalian brains work – but we can take steps toward living more intentionally.

Because when we live with intention, we are much more likely to fulfill our long-term goals.

To live with intention, we need to know where we are trying to go…

Make a solid plan for how to get there…

And then follow it!

Sure, life doesn’t always go as planned.

But even on the most stressful days, you are, ultimately, the one who decides how to spend your time.

And if you have no plan for your day – or no concrete goals to work toward – the day will decide how you spend your time.

That’s quite the gamble.

What is this, the Wild, Wild, West!?  

Are you really willing to gamble with your LIFE-time!?

That’s your most valuable asset!! Even more valuable than Grandma Ethel’s wedding ring, and you’d never risk losing that!

No more leaving your time up to chance. Take your power back! 

Make a plan!

Create a Solid Plan!

Look, we get it. 

Life doesn’t always go to plan.

Sometimes, the car simply won’t start…

Or your nutritious lunch lies forgotten in the fridge…

Or you sleep through your alarm…

Or that essential piece of equipment decides today is a great day to die.

We know that life isn’t always predictable – it’s part of what makes life interesting! 

But how we respond to life’s little curveballs helps make us who we are.

Just because your plans may be foiled occasionally is no reason to avoid making a plan altogether!  

That’s like never taking a shower because you are just gonna have to do it again the following day. 

Pee-youuu!

Seriously, though.

Just like you shower because personal hygiene is a practice you attend to for your physical health, making and following through on plans that lead you closer to your goals is necessary for your mental health.

(Need guidance on effective goal-setting? Check out this blog post on the subject!)

When you accomplish things that actually matter to you with your time – because you planned to and knocked that plan outta the park – that leads to a more fulfilling existence.

On the other hand, avoiding any sort of planning is a recipe for never reaching your long-term goals. When we only do things others tell us we should do – because we didn’t take the time to think through our goals and how to reach them – we’re bound to feel unfulfilled.

One of those two scenarios is much more attractive than the other, now, isn’t it!?

Indeed.

The actual planning process is so varied from person to person that we won’t even go into how to plan here – that is up to you.

Whether you prefer to use sticky notes to keep track of your day or not doesn’t matter – what matters is that you know where you’re going, you map out how to get there long-term, and you work toward your goals every day (or regularly, at least).

The best part about plans? They can change!  

Need a fresh one? Make it!

You are the one that defines success for your life, and if you’re intentionally, regularly working toward your goals – regardless of what they are – you’re creating success in your life, and that will feel fulfilling!

You’re creating freedom in your life by buckling down and moving forward, day after day.

Kinda counter-intuitive, isn’t it!? But it’s true.

And changing plans – that is, creating a new one in the moment – is sometimes the best way to reach your goals.

On those days when you can’t execute the plan as you’d hoped, it’s okay to do less, as long as you do something – because true success is not an “all-or-nothing” scenario!

Banish All-Or-Nothing Thinking!

When we are trying to achieve our goals, “all-or-nothing” thinking gets us into deep trouble.

When you have a plan – and you’re able to follow through with it – you easily live your day to the fullest!

Those are good days, aren’t they!?

But on the days that are out of the ordinary – the ones where everything seems to go wrong – you may not be able to stick to the same plan you created for days that go swimmingly…

And that’s okay.

Every day is a new day – and every day calls for a plan that matches the needs of the day, but still helps you take steps toward your goal.

Sometimes, you have to go with the flow.

And there is NOTHING wrong with being flexible in your plans!

Adaptability is a great strength of our species, after all.

Treat your plans as more of a dimmer switch than an on-off switch.

Some days, you can make plans brighter than the sun and pull them off! But other days won’t be so sunny, and you’ll need to adjust your actions to take you closer to your long-term goal, if only by inches.

The point is to make progress.

With flexibility in your daily plan, you can navigate the waters of life one day at a time, plans intact, goals coming ever closer!

The beauty of a flexible plan is that it takes into account life’s little curveballs.

That means that even in the midst of crazy days – which will come – you’re able to keep your end goal in mind and take one or two baby steps toward it.

Maybe you can’t do the full 1-hour workout that a “good day” would allow, but could you squeeze in 5 or 10 minutes of physical activity?

Ya? Then plan on that, and do it! 5 or 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes!

And even tiny steps forward are steps forward.

Any amount of progress you can rack up helps build momentum – and that leads to more success in the future!

Something is always better than nothing!

Conclusion

Finding freedom doesn’t always mean getting out of doing or feeling unpleasant things.

Sometimes, freedom is created when we make space for what really matters to us in our daily lives.

We do that by creating solid – but easily adapted – plans for how we spend our time.

When you make space to work on the things that maximize your potential – things that align with your talents and goals – your life will feel more fulfilling.

And fulfillment is freedom.

Let us know if there is anything that we at Freedom Foam & Equipment can do to help you reach your potential and spray your way to a better life.

We’re just a call away.

Next time, we will examine how to organize a jumble of overwhelming tasks so you can focus your time and energy on only the most essential items!