{The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida}
"Sometimes I lie awake at night and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night." ~Charlie Brown
In week 15 I looked at what it meant to be something instead of being paid for doing something. In week 16, I will discuss when and how to make a course correction to your Lifetime Priorities Plan.
I drew up my plan, packed my bags, gassed up the Jeep and hit the road. I was/am on an adventure that would include visiting grandchildren, writing and training for a 2013 triathlon. The first stop was with my daughter and her family in Charlotte. When I arrived I found that the twins were sick and everyone else sleep deprived. I spent the week walking sick babies and helping my daughter whenever possible...while telling myself that I would start my plan once I got to Jacksonville. I hit the road again with a slight case of the snuffles to continue south to spend time with my son. Unfortunately, the slight case of the snuffles started to morph into something more by the time I reached Jacksonville.
Regrettably, this is where common sense failed me...I was so focused on the fact I was "behind" plan that I did not adhere to the traditional rule of running that states "if the cold is above the neck run, if below, don't". After two days, I had to stop. I felt like I was going to cough up a lung and eventually I did strain a muscle from all my coughing. I was now officially sidelined until the fluid in my lungs dissipated. Instead of taking 3 days to heal, I now needed 14 days plus I was out of sync with my number one priority...maintain good health.
So where did I go wrong? You could say I miss calculated the time needed to heal from my cold but I submit, there is more to it than that. I became too invested in hitting a certain plan timeline instead of embracing and incorporating various detours in my life. I want very much to participate in a triathlon this year and I am also aware that I need time to train smartly to accomplish this goal. I was excited about getting started so I jumped the gun...a running metaphor...when it came to training. I needed to give my body the time to heal and did not; I paid the price.
Your Life Priorities Plan is just that a plan, a living, breathing proposal for how to achieve the life you want to live. My admonition is to take your LPP seriously but remember, plans can evolve and grow as your life changes. The key is to embrace the detours and incoporate them in your LPP. Evolution does not mean to halt or stop but to rethink and in some cases modify your plan. A course correction can lead to a more positive outcome and get you to your ultimate goal.
Week 16 Assignment: Take your Morning 30 to reveiw your LLP. Are you pushing to hard in one area? Is your life evolving? Is your LLP evolving too?
Get caught up on the entire Intentional Living series:
- Week 1: The Importance of Taking Time to Think
- Week 2: Asking the Right Questions
- Week 3: What is working in your life?
- Week 4: Do you have your priorities straight?
- Week 5: Are you moving forward?
- Week 6: Setting Lifetime Priorities
- Week 7: Decision Time
- Week 8: Planning
- Week 9: Review
- Week 10: Four Reasons Why
- Week 11: Are You Being True to Yourself?
- Week 12: Self Realization
- Week 13: Sharing Your Vision
- Week 14: Do You Have the Key to Success?
- Week 15: Do You Remember When?