Planning Is So Overrated: Ditch Your Plans and See What Happens …
I was in beautiful Ubud, Bali when suddenly my plans changed. And I found myself in Rawai in Phuket.
So it sounds like the perfect trip, right? Four weeks in Southeast Asia in five star hotels living in the lap of luxury. And I loved my week in Ubud, Bali.
Then something happened. In my mind, I had a rough “plan” of how this trip was going to go … I had my hotels in mind and my cities in mind … But unlike my Costa Rica trip, I didn’t book them all in advance.
The first thing that happened is my choice hotels in a couple of cities were all booked up. Okay, a little disappointing, but I figured I would go to “plan B.” Haha, we don’t even think about it, do we? Not only do we live life by plans. We also have back-up plans.
Funny, A Course in Miracles teaches that: “A healed mind does not plan.”
So plan B involved certain other hotels in the same cities. Yet none of those were really resonating with me. Then I went to book those hotels and my credit card would not work. First, they put a security block on my card, even though I had told the credit card company that I would be traveling in Southeast Asia. Then my credit card company lifted the security block … and the card STILL would not work on the hotel booking websites.
Simplify Your Life in 30 Days with EFT Tapping Beautiful bamboo villa in Seminyak at Amana VillasFrustrated, I booked a villa that got great reviews on TripAdvisor for six NON-REFUNDABLE days in Seminyak, Bali. I arrived to learn that the next-door neighbor to my hotel, unbeknownst to me, was doing heavy construction. So during my four days there, it was non-stop banging, drilling, and sawing. I kid you not. I also noticed that this luxury accommodation really started to feel like a prison.
I felt restless. One day I spent several HOURS on the phone trying to clear up the credit card issues. Unsuccessfully! This does not happen to me. In my life, doors open effortlessly everywhere I go.
So finally I took a deep, deep breath and asked the Universe: what is it you are trying to tell me?
My cautious former self would have been too risk-averse to deviate from my plan. On very short notice, I ditched the hotel (forfeiting almost $700 in non-refundable credit there) and stepped out into the UNKNOWN.
How often in life do you let Plan A and Plan B limit the real options? What would happen if you stopped planning and started listening entirely to the guidance of the present moment?
I am so glad I let go of my plan. I was so sick of stifling tourist crap.
Yesterday, a woman picked me up on her scooter off the street. I wanted to find a certain hotel and by synchronicity, the ONLY brochure on her motorbike was for the hotel I was trying to find :)
Today I went to drop off my laundry, and a guy yelled at me “where are you going?”
“To drop off my laundry.”
“You want to go to the beach?”
Simplify Your Life in 30 Days with EFT TappingHaha, sure … why not? We stopped off and dropped off my laundry … then he took me to this gorgeous tropical beach and all around town. Just now, he drove me into the mountains at high speed on that motorbike to see spectacular views from way up high. Totally exhilarating. There I am, holding on to a heavily tatted guy I barely know, no helmets. Totally fearless, no plan.
“In my defenselessness my safety lies.” – A Course in Miracles
And tonight with any luck I’ll be blending seamlessly into the local social scene … all because I let go of my plan and let the Universe tell me where to go next …
Where would you have me go?
What would you have me do?
What would you have me say, and to whom?
Do you listen to the guidance that the Universe is giving us every single moment? Do you see inconveniences as a frustration or a message? I’m so glad I’ve learned to listen when the Universe makes it THAT difficult to get a decent hotel. I’m so glad I’ve learned not to be limited by the fact that I already paid for a hotel room that I no longer want to stay in. Yea it was non-refundable and $700 down the drain. It’s just money. Money is not a good reason to do or not do anything.
The theme this month is to Simplify Your Life in 30 Days with EFT Tapping. A key component of simplifying our lives is letting go of planning. Plans usually just add layers of complexity to decision-making that is meant to be spontaneous and intuitive.
You’ll never guess where I am right now … LOL … to be continued … xoxo
Love,
Erika Awakening, High Priestess of Miracles at TAPsmarter
Wow, marvelous blog layout! Hoow llong have you been blogging for?
you made blogging look easy. Thhe overall look of your
site is magnificent, let alone the content!
I really need to start being more carefree. I have become way to set in my ways and way too much of a homebody. Been a long time since I let my hair down! I am not much of a planner though so I am with you there!
yea maybe good inspiration for all of us! great to see you on the blog Robin :)
ha, big time planner here! Love how carefree and spontaneous you are, we all need a little more of that in our lives.
Hi Anita, yea even I need a bit more of it probably. Definitely one thing travel is good for, getting out of our comfort zone. Especially solo travel … thanks for the comment :)
This is actually how I live my life, I rarely make plans, I just go and hopefully there will be somewhere to lay my head when I get there. I agree, plans complicate things and cause so much unnecessary stress most of the time. There can be stress when you are arriving somewhere and don’t have a plan but for the most part, it always works out for me. I’ve yet to be stranded anywhere. God always provides, always takes care of me… a lot of the time I’m like Abraham and I just “go to the place He shows me” and I rarely ask for the plan because I know God has it worked out, my job is to just go!
Yep our job is just to listen as His Voice directs and go … :)
I’ve learned there’s no point in trying to pin down every detail because nothing ever goes according to plan 100 percent. Leave a little bit of room for synchronicity to happen and you’ll have a much more memorable time . . . and better stories to tell too.
Yea absolutely Clara, and always be open to miracles!
LOVE this concept. As a serial planner, I can appreciate the “ditch the plan” concept until it goes wrong haha. Thankfully, we haven’t had many problems along the way so amen – ditch the plans!!! :)
Hi Phoebe, yes!! :) Life is so much more interesting without a plan. Thanks for stopping by :)