Each year I strive with all my heart to make my IPP the perfect plan and each year I end up changing it. Life is complicated and it changes and what works on paper one day may not work in reality on the next day. I have learned that I am not locked into stone with my plans and that they can be changed. Goals that seemed so important at the annual review meeting can fade over time. Similarly monies that seemed so wisely spent on one category may turn out to be better spent elsewhere.
With all it’s limitations, I still plan because I still feel I’m a good planner, just not a perfect planner. For me planning is very motivational and opens up doors of new and unanticipated possibilities. I love doing research for my plans and exploring options. I thrive on the new and the fresh and the same old same old is boring. Likewise, getting out of the status quo takes some planning and risk taking. Playing it safe leads to a rut of habit and sameness.
The amount of time I spend on developing a plan varies. Some times I spend a lot of time coming up with a plan, others not. Some plans are isolated while others set in motion a long chain of plans and decisions to be made and followed through on.
How are you doing with your plans?