38. Planning
Planning and I have a love-hate relationship.
When I was 16, I saw life in three parts—education, work, and retirement.
My plan was to work hard in school to get a good job so that I could enjoy life in retirement.
Yet this wasn’t really my plan. I had deeply internalized the expectations, dreams, and aspirations of generations before me.
As I’ve worked to let go of what isn’t mine and unearth what is, I’ve resisted planning too far in advance. After all:
Life isn’t linear
Hard work doesn’t always pay off
The future isn’t guaranteed
I still dream of the future I desire to manifest. But I try not to grip onto any specific path too tightly.