Tag Archives: Planning

New Year, New Plans

As we kick off 2019, many of us are re-evaluating things and looking ahead to the new year. We are making resolutions, thinking about new habits, and seeking God’s direction in our lives.

I have written many posts – even series of posts – that are relevant to the “planning season” of the year, so this week I thought I’d give you a roundup of 5 posts I’ve written in previous years around this time (or on similar topics), so you can revisit the ones that you need most this week:

sunset over the sea

Last year I laid out my “Four Steps to Planning the Year.” This is a great place to start if you don’t already have a process for yourself.

I wrote a series of three posts on Goals – starting with “Taking Aim”. If you need to review and revisit your goals, this would be a great place for you to start.

Over mountain scene, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Jef. 29:11

This four-part planning series, beginning with “God’s Plan A,” deals with God’s plans for us, how we can know if we need to re-evaluate, different ways of planning, and praying through planning.

2:5:16 Pray Plan Pray

If praying through your plans is the area you want to focus on, read “Pray Plan Pray” for my framework for praying at the beginning of the year.

3:9:16 Prepping for success

“Prepping for Success” is a post I wrote about how I stay focused on my daily meeting with God. If you are looking to start a new habit this year, and particularly if that habit is staying focused in your daily meetings with God, read this post for my best tips.

The Juicy Shrimp Shack

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The Juicy Shrimp Shack

By Lydia Floren

There are not many restaurants in our small town (unless you count bars and fast food joints). With so little to choose from, any time a new place opens up we try to check it out. Recently one of my patients told me about a new eating establishment called The Juicy Shrimp Shack, so on my birthday I talked my husband and mother-in-law into trying it out.

The Juicy Shrimp Shack was brand new. It did not have any ratings on Trip Advisor or Zomato. It did, however, have a Facebook page. And a map with a link. So after the three of us piled in the car, I clicked on the link, programmed the GPS and we were on our way. We headed west on I-94 and, after about 15 miles, turned off at the stripper bar exit. (I am sure it has a name, but that’s what everyone around here calls it). The GPS said to turn north, so we turned, and started driving. Pretty soon, we were surrounded by farms and fields. It was beautiful – rolling hills, stately red barns, grazing cattle, and field after lush, green field. Sigh. There’s nothing like Wisconsin in the summertime.

But, it was late. And we were hungry.

I plugged the coordinates into the Google GPS instead of the Apple one. No change. So we kept going, but after a few more miles, I was really starting to get worried. Locating a restaurant in the middle of farmland didn’t seem like a wise business strategy to me. If the Juicy Shrimp Shack is this far out in the country, who would find it? And if no one ate there, would the food be fresh, or old? Would we get sick by eating it?

Finally the GPS said, “Turn right at the next intersection. Your destination is one mile ahead on the left. “

But turning right put us on a skinny dirt road lined with closely packed cornstalks.

I asked Andrew to stop. And to my husband’s credit, he didn’t say a word. I, again, accessed the Juicy Shrimp Shack’s web page from my cell phone (thank God for Verizon), but this time I looked up the actual address written on the page. When I entered that in to the GPS everything on the screen changed.

The GPS lady said “you are way the heck off base. What were you thinking?” Not really. She just droned, “REPROGRAMMING,” and told us to turn around and head back 10 miles to the I-94 exit, where we first got off.

And there it was, right next door to the girly place. (I’m not kidding.)

And it was awesome!!!

Reprogramming your GPS

I do have a point here. Maybe you have something – a career path, financial purchase, relationship, job – programmed into your life’s GPS. And, it seems right. To the best of your knowledge, you made a good decision. But, the further you get down the road in this project, or relationship, or field of study, the more things just don’t seem to be clicking. Something feels off. You are more and more hesitant to keep going forward.

Pay attention to that feeling. And don’t be afraid to take a big step back and reevaluate. Get more information. See what other options are out there. And then pray through the decision again. You may come to the same conclusion, or you may come to a different one.

And, even if you find yourself backtracking a good bit to get on a different road, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just remember: with God, no experience is wasted. God has used and will use every mile you travel to teach you things, and bless others along the way.

Time to regroup?

Is it time to regroup? No worries. Just stop. Thank God for where you are. And, where He is going to lead you next.

And before you get your life back in gear, take a moment to enjoy what’s right in front of you. Beautiful.

The Key Ingredient – Planning Series, Part 4

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The Key Ingredient – Planning Series, Part 4

by Lydia Floren

Last week, we talked about the fact that everyone approaches planning a little differently. Some are Perfectionists, others Minimalists or No-Planners. And most of us are Nomadic planners – we plan differently based on which situation we are in. No matter what kind of planner you are, without prayer, your plans will not be all they could be. The best plans always include one key ingredient: prayer.

Planning without prayer is like making bread without yeast: things just don’t turn out the way you thought they would.

And, when I talk about prayerful planning, I don’t mean forming a strategy and then asking God to put His stamp of approval on it. That is like mixing bread dough, and then sprinkling yeast on the loaves right before you slide them in the oven. In order for prayer to be effective in your planning process, it must be in the mix, right from the start.

Think about it. Doesn’t it make sense to ask the Ultimate Life Coach, the One Person who knows you best and loves you most, what His perspective is? What He thinks your plans should be? Doesn’t it seem logical to give veto power to the only person in the universe that knows the future? That can help you avert disaster by aborting your plans? After all, He is the one who said:

I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.

Whether you are Perfectionist, a Nomadic, a Minimalist or a No-Plan Planner, your plan will always go better with prayer. And here is an extra bonus, the cherry on top that will absolutely revolutionize your whole planning process: after you set goals and make plans, keep on praying about those plans. Ann Ortlund, in her book Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman, said that she saw a big difference in how many of her goals and plans were realized, after she started praying about them on a regular basis.

So plan away. However it works for your life and your personality. Just remember to discuss it all with God, and keep on talking to Him. Keep bringing your plans to Him, asking for His insight and direction and wisdom in how to focus on, carry out, and even adjust, your strategy. And then take His advice.

Prayer is the key ingredient to great plans.

In fact, prayer is the best plan of all.

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Plan Is Not a 4-Letter Word. Not Really. (Planning Series, Part 3)

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Plan Is Not a 4-Letter Word. Not Really.

by Lydia Floren

Everyone plans. But not everyone sees themselves as a “planner.” Usually, we think of “planners” as OC perfectionist types. (This is a little like me, at least the former me. I am a perfectionist-in-recovery, in case you forgot.) But whether we realize it or not, we are all planners. We all make plans. We just have different ways of doing it.

For example, there are the Perfectionist Planners. These people (OK, we) often construct elaborate, detailed moment-by-moment plans for their (our) lives. And, often do so for those around us as well. (Sorry, guys.) We have extensive to-do lists and specific timetables. And high expectations. (Again, sorry)

The Minimalist Planners plan for survival. They do what they have to do to keep things going. They are focused on paying the bills, getting the schoolwork done, finishing the project. A Minimalist Planner might have a life plan as simple as this:

Monday thru Friday: Get up. Take a shower. Get dressed. Go to work. Come home. Eat. Go to sleep.

Saturday and Sunday: Catch up from what you didn’t get done Monday through Friday. Maybe go to church. Take a nap.

Finally there are the No-Plan Planners. No-Plan Planners try to live life as it comes. They never set their alarm. Heck, they probably don’t even own an alarm clock. They get up when they wake up, and do whatever strikes their fancy. But what No-Plan Planners don’t realize is that choosing not to plan is, in fact, a plan. Not a very sustainable one (unless someone is paying all your bills), but a plan nevertheless.

Most of us are Nomadic Planners. By that I mean that we shift from one planning approach to another, depending on the situation. For example, in my medical practice, I tend to be a Perfectionist Planner. The rest of the time I am more of a Minimalist. But when I go on vacation, I am a No-Plan Planner.

No judgment here. There is no right or wrong way to plan. Everyone approaches life from a unique perspective, and so we all will have our own unique way of planning. And even though we have our usual way of approaching planning, that might change based on what we are doing, or where we are in our time of life.

But, I will say this: I sure hope if I need a brain surgeon, he or she is an OC Perfectionist Planner, at least in the O.R.!

Everyone makes plans.

Planning is a necessary, integral part of life.

No matter what our approach to planning, just understand: plan is not a 4-sletter word. Not really.

For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Luke 14:28

What kind of planner are you?

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Halftime Adjustments – Planning Series Part 2

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Halftime Adjustments

Planning Series Part 2

by Lydia Floren

My husband Andrew and I are big football fans, and though I am by no means an expert, I have learned a few things about the game over the years. Mostly by osmosis. Sitting on cold metal benches, trying to figure out what exactly a defensive end does. Chatting about strategy and strengths with fellow parents as we sell things for fundraisers or serve up food to sweaty players. Listening to my husband and three sons rehash games at the dinner table. Playing tag football with the kids in the front yard. (Well, until a career ending knee injury sidelined me a few years ago.)

I also learned the game by asking a lot of questions from people who know more than I do. (So far, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t responded to my emails, but it’s OK. I understand. He’s a little busy right now.)

One of my favorite things about watching football, is seeing how things change in the second half. The coaches can spend weeks developing a sound game plan, and drilling it into their team. But usually, as the first half unfolds, things don’t go exactly according to plan. Maybe a key player gets hurt. Or the opposing quarterback is having the best game of his life. For whatever reason, the team’s carefully crafted strategy is not working as anticipated. Coaches know this. Anticipate it, even. And they have a plan in place to change the plan.

It’s called a half-time adjustment.

At the half, all those guys that have been communicating through their headsets (screaming is a form of communication isn’t it?) get together. They talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what could be done differently. And then, they craft an amended plan for the second part of the game. These changes, I learned, are called “halftime adjustments.” Well, I don’t know if “halftime adjustment” is an official moniker in the NFL playbook, but I know that’s what it is called. And everybody does it.

So why am I thinking about football in July, when there are absolutely NO GAMES on TV unless you count grainy reruns of Joe Namath? And yes, I actually know who that is.

Here’s why: July 1 is the halfway point in the calendar year. And so July is the month I make my own halftime adjustments to my year’s game plan. In January I write down some goals and plans for coming year. Mid-year I set aside some time to review the first 6 months – what’s working, what needs to change. And then I pray – I consult with God the Ultimate Life Coach – about what adjustments need to be made for the second half.

Why half-time adjustments are necessary

Why do this? Because life happens. We all know that things rarely go as anticipated. Maybe you lose your job, or move cross country, or find out your child has a learning disability, or a special gift. Or maybe you have an illness that has sapped your strength, or are faced with a big decision that took you by surprise.

Or, maybe you discover that your plans are just not realistic. That happens to me a lot. I tend to overestimate how much time I have, and underestimate how much time or energy something will take. A perfectionist, even a perfectionist-in-recovery like me, can make some pretty elaborate plans that have little chance of success. For example:

eat nothing but vegetables, ever.
exercise 1.5 hrs. per day. Every day.
read all my medical journals before the weekend.
finish writing the last ½ of my book in the next 4 weeks.

It doesn’t take long to fail. And that starts a downward spiral of negative self-talk that can be paralyzing.

So my midyear halftime adjustments are a lifesaver. It forces me to face my limitations and accept that I cannot do as much as I think I can – or do it as quickly as I would like. It helps me to get back on track, and allows me to give myself a break. And it injects a little reality into my overall planning process, so that next week/month/year, I can come up with a more achievable set of goals and strategies. And, I don’t abandon planning altogether.

What do things look like at halftime for you? have you set unrealistic goals for yourself? Or drifted off course from those things you really want to focus on this year? Are there things that need to change? Expectations, and plans, that need to be revised?

Just do it. Take a little time out to reflect and pray. And adjust. I guarantee you will be glad you did.

Want more on planning? See:

God’s Plan A: Planning Series Part One

4 Steps to Planning the Year

Pray Plan Pray

God’s Plan A: Planning Series Part 1

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God’s Plan A

by Lydia Floren

“God has a plan for your life.” For many people, this is a reassuring thought. But not for me. This idea of God having a plan for me has always been a little unsettling. Because I know how many ways I can screw thing up. For example, what if I think I’ve figured out God’s plan for me, but I misunderstand, and unintentionally set out in the wrong direction? Does that mean the train has left the station? That I am now consigned to live the rest of my life on a backup plan? Plan B?

And even if I feel like I’ve “gotten the memo,” and have a good idea of what His plan is, what if I just decide one day – as I’m prone to do – that I’m going to ditch His plan and go my own way? Am I on to plan C, or D, ….or Z?

Thankfully, God gets us. He knows we mess up. Regularly. He understands that we don’t always hear Him clearly. And he knows that we can wander way off base, out of ignorance, or just from pure orneriness. If – no,when – we do, He doesn’t relegate us to life in the loser’s bracket, to live a kind of a cosmic, “consolation prize” existence.

He just keeps on loving us, reaching out to us, calling us back to the one and only plan He has for us. His Plan A.

God’s Plan A

So what exactly is God’s Plan A?

A good life. “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
A full life. Jesus said, “I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness. “ John 10:10
A life of loving, and being loved. “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

Who wouldn’t want that kind of life?

Have you gotten off track? Have you quit listening for God’s direction, or maybe just decided to go your own way for awhile? Well, quit messing around and get back on track. Claim the good life, the overflowing life, the life of love God has planned for you.

Come back to God’s Plan A.

4 Steps to Planning the Year

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by Lydia Floren

I am a planner. Not in the “control freak” kind of way, just in the wanting-to-be-intentional-about- life way. So, the new year is an important time for me. Toward the end of the year, I start to think about where I have been, where I am going, and how best to get there. In January, I typically set aside a day or two to review and make some specific plans for the coming year. What does that look like for me? Well, it is different every year. Some years I am more detailed, others I just sketch out a more general framework. But my planning process always seems to involve these four steps:

Four Steps to Planning the Year:

Reflect
Review
Refocus
Revise

Reflection:

What happened in the last year? Events? Relationships? Commitments? Life situations?
How have I seen God working in these things?
How have I grown? What have I learned?

Review:

What were my goals/priorities/commitments from last year?
- Life goal:
- Other goals:
- Priorities:
- Permanent commitments:
How has my time spent in the last year, aligned with my life goals, priorities, commitments?

Refocus:

Ask God, “What is Your perspective of what has happened in the last year?”
Are there any goals/priorities/commitments I need to change or moving forward?
Are there specific plans that need to be revised? Ditched? Formulated?

Revise:

What do I see as the best strategy to achieve my goals in the coming year? In two years? In 5 years?
How does that translate into how I use my time on a daily/weekly/monthly basis?
What will help me to keep my life aligned with these goals/plans?

During this process, I continue to pray and seek God’s guidance, insight, and wisdom in each of these steps. And, at the end, I just give my new plans and schedule to God, and ask Him to show me what revisions need to be made.

What is your approach to planning?

What Should I Do Now? Making Plans

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by Lydia Floren

Last week in “What Should I Do Next?”, I wrote about making plans. I’m not going to lie. Planning takes time and perseverance. It is hard to make myself take a chunk of time to pray through and decide what is the best way to spend my time and resources.

But tough choices aren’t just limited to making plans.

When we face dilemmas, we ask ourselves, “What should I do now?“
Many times we are faced with dilemmas in life – difficult relationships, career decisions, parenting concerns. Everything seems muddled. We can feel totally at a loss about how to respond, or which way to go. And it stresses us out. We need wisdom beyond our own understanding.

Proverbs 2 has some great insight:
“If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Prov. 2:1-5

Here’s another way to say these verses:

Steps Toward Wisdom (paraphrase of Prov. 2:1-5)

Accept and store up God’s word: make a practice of exposing yourself to the truth of God’s word and God’s presence every day. Respect it. Let it sink into your heart and spirit.
Listen: Pay attention to how God might be speaking to you in your situation. Do your best to try to understand what He is saying in your heart through His word and His presence.
ASK HIM for His perspective on your situation. Plead with Him to increase your understanding beyond what you can do on your own.
Search for God’s wisdom. Actively look for His insight. Let that be the most important thing to you, more important than the facts that you have gathered, your own conclusions, or the opinions others.

When you do these things, you will find the knowledge you seek about what your next steps should be. And you will experience just how amazing God is.

Remembering our highest priority keeps everything in perspective.
When we make our relationship with God our highest priority, He helps us put everything in perspective, and gives us wisdom beyond our own understanding.

Is your relationship with God your highest priority in life? How do your choices of how you spend your time and resources reflect that priority? What plans/steps can you make to better accept, listen, ask and search for God’s wisdom?

“And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. And I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jer. 29:12

What Should I Do Next?

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by Lydia Floren

Did you know that God is a planner? He said, “I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope.” In my opinion, part of following God is learning to ask for His wisdom, and make plans.

Plans remind me of what is most important.
Every January, I take some time to pray about the coming year, review priorities, goals and commitments. and make some plans. This time of prayerful planning helps me remind myself of what is most important, and then set goals that align accordingly.

Plans keep me from getting sidetracked.
Making plans also helps me because I am easily distracted. I have lots of interests, and it is easy for me to collect projects like some people collect stray cats. I have learned that when I pray and plan at the first of the year, and then periodically revisit those plans, I am more likely to not get sidetracked. Later in the year when I am juggling a half dozen incomplete projects, and I am driving myself crazy (ok, others, too), I can refer back to this plan and have some guidance about which time commitments to continue and which to set aside.

Plans help in answering what should I do next?
Do things go according to plan? Not always – sometimes not at all. But having the reference point of a prayfully made plan really helps when I get mired down in everyday life, and keeps me focused on what is really important. It helps me answer the questions, “What should I do next?” and “What should I do now?”

What benefits do you get from making plans? Have you prayed about any plans for this year?

Pray Plan Pray

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by Lydia Floren

On my recent trip to India, one of the leaders of IBL had these three words at the top of his whiteboard: “Pray Plan Pray.”

I love this! Pray first, then plan, and then pray through your plans.

You know, the New Year is just getting underway. This is an excellent time to look back and forward, and “pray plan pray.”

Here is one way you can do this:

Praying GRACE for the New Year

Give thanks for…

Right now.
Your life: The past year. The coming one.
God’s presence and His goodness.
All God has been doing, and all He continues to do.

Release…

The past. Disappointments. Pain. Resentment. Regret. Sin. Shame. Guilt.
Expectations you have of others. And that others might have of you.
The future. Fear. Worry. Uncertainty.

Accept…

Where you are right now.
Yourself as you are: imperfect and in process.
God’s love and forgiveness.
God’s wisdom/direction for the coming year.
Responsibilities God has already given you.
Ownership of your life and your decisions.

Continue…

Praying about your priorities and goals.
Listening for God’s direction.
Outlining plans for the year.
Deciding which one or two habits to cultivate in the coming year.

Enjoy…

Each day, recognizing it for the gift that it is.
The process of prayerful planning.
God’s constant presence with you, within you – loving you, leading you, touching others through you.

Praying GRACE is a wonderful way to start the year. But however you choose to dive in to 2016, don’t forget to Pray Plan Pray.

What plans have you made for the coming year?