Sarah von Bargen, as she is wont to do, wrote something that got me thinking. At the time of her post, there were 99 days left in 2013. That is crazy. It feels like just weeks ago that Chad and I were planning our year, a very uncharacteristic thing for us to do. We’ve historically been fly-by-the-seats-of-our-pants kind of people. Sometimes that leads to delight through unexpected adventure, but it also leads to wandering around tourist sections of Barcelona, undecided about where to eat dinner and me with an acute case of “hanger,” that is, hunger and anger. I spend a lot of time in that hungry-angry place.
I had a really hard time planning my year. There was just so much unknown. Would we travel? I really hoped so. When? How would we fit it in? Well, whenever made sense down the line, of course!
With this being my year of creative sabbatical, would I focus more on writing or web development? Would there be any unforeseen hobbies or activities or projects that would change my life and be part of my every day? Would I start my own small business or look for a full-time development job?
There was just so much we didn’t know. If we made goals and got laser-focused on achieving them, would we miss the really incredible unplanned opportunity just lurking around the corner?
I would like to get better about goal-setting for sure. I think it’d be really good for me to get more focused, especially as someone who tends toward spontaneity, and I’d probably accomplish more. But I wonder if the intense goal-setting that happens sometimes doesn’t leave room for the magic and delight of impromptu travel, adventures, or an unexpected opportunity that could change everything. Or maybe my “But what about spontaneity?” hesitation is just an excuse for not making a serious list of goals and following through. I’m not sure.
I’m curious. Have you ever thought about this? What is your natural tendency: goal-setting or spontaneity? Would you like more of one or the other in your life?
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