Best laid plans… Right?

Today I planned to take Jaxon outside to play and tire him so I could do some trip planning at the computer enjoying peace and quiet.

It has been raining almost constantly.

When it is not raining, and I try to take Jaxon outside, it starts raining…

And blowing…

The rain is “sideways rain”. 

You know this rain.

Jaxon does not like rain.

Jaxon runs for the door and cowers under the eaves of the house as if to believe if he makes himself tiny enough the rain cannot touch him.

We are back inside yet again.

After some inside games and toys that make him work (thank you Red Ball Dog Academy), he is relaxing quietly…

For now.

Planning.

It seems I am forever planning something.  I like having a plan.  I feel more in control when I have a plan laid out and know what I will do first, and next, and so on.

Planning often requires lists. 

I am a huge fan of lists.  You know this.

Next week I leave with one of my dearest friends for an epic journey.  We are leaving from the homestead and driving across the country.  She is moving to California, which makes me sad.  I will get to visit her in fun places, which makes me glad.

In the mean time, we have been planning our great adventure.  Our plan is to drive as long as we can for the first two days to get us into the eastern part of Colorado.  From there, we have plotted a meandering route to catch a glimpse of as many national parks as we can.  No, we will not have great chunks of time to spend at each park.  That is not the plan.  Instead we will get a snapshot of each of these amazing places and be able to determine where we want to revisit in the future for longer stretches of time.

That is the plan.

Just like today, the plan has to be flexible.  There will be weather, road conditions, and things we cannot predict. We are both doing our best to remain as healthy as possible.  Thankfully, we are both easily amused, and can find something to do no matter the situation. 

Weekends like this, when I am working on a plan, I reflect on other plans I made during the course of my life.   Some of them worked out very well.  I have a retirement income, and skills that allow me to choose to work or not to work at this point in my life.   Some of my plans have not worked out as expected.

If a plan does not work as expected, is it a failure?

Some might label it as such.

I used to be that way.  I was extremely self-critical (truth?  I am still self-critical, but I am making progress). If a plan did not work out exactly as I had expected, I belittled myself with negative feedback.  I was my own worst enemy.

Today, I choose to look at my planning a bit differently.

Despite my best efforts, I know my plans may not work.  Some of the reasons may be within my control… choices I make.  Some of the reasons may be outside of my control.   Sometimes, something else becomes more of a priority and that plan has to be tabled for the time being.  

Rather than determine that my plan “failed”, I prefer to see it as a lesson learned.

I can plan better next time.

I can make different choices.

I can let go of things outside of my control.

I am glad I have recognized that life is far too short to berate myself for something rather than allow my self to learn and grow from the experience.

Despite the rainy day…

Despite Jaxon being a demanding Boxer today…

I have a plan.