Someone once said if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. But what if you fail to use your planner? So far I have purchased four fancy ones, and countless accessories, but haven’t used any of them. On the contrary, a dropped post-it note or the back of a bill envelope could very well read like my autobiography if found by a stranger. And so began my quest to get more organized.
“What grown tail woman still plays with stickers?” I remember thinking upon first discovering the task tracking trend, The Happy Planner while on a trip to Target. Clearly many a woman. In 2016, it was last documented that 342.7 million in U.S. dollars were spent on appointment books and paper planners annually. They vary in length (daily, weekly, monthly), format (dated or undated), size (pocket to purse size) and purpose (functional or creative). Trying to decide with so many choices made me more anxious than happy. Digital planners are also an option, but there’s something about manually crossing things off of a to do list that seems to, well– do it for people. Research shows that writing, as opposed to typing one’s schedule makes a person feel more engaged. Well no wonder I’m single (ba dum tsss!). Seriously, my lack of commitment to this creative calendar craze has in fact proven “date” less, forgetting obligations and missing meetings. Without defined direction, I have been unfaithful to my dreams.
In considering the reason why I seem to purchase pretty planners, but don’t put them into practice I concluded that it’s because I’m a perfectionist. I don’t want to mess them up. I also made the big mistake of looking at other people’s planners on Instagram. Murder she wrote; comparison killed what was left of my aspirations. Just like the actual implementation of real life plans, I can get so fixated on doing things right or as well as others that I don’t do anything at all. The key is to trust in the planner, and try our best (2 Chronicles 15:7).
You can’t tell me that God isn’t a planner; He strategically took 7 days to make the world, 9 months to form a baby, and 4 seasons to guide agriculture. Then there’s the phases of the moon and the life cycle of butterflies. Hot flashes are a reminder if ever there were one, to make reservations for heaven rather than risk the heat of hell. I’m joking of course (sort of), but The Lord’s layout of our lives is better than we could ever arrange or even imagine. His theme for us is eternity. Sure, we sometimes wish He could pencil in less problems, and more money, but the ink of His pen is incredible. He is so trustworthy. His timing really is everything, it just isn’t ours. But if we seek His purpose for us, put in the work and as my grandmother used to say “take one step,” He will surely take two. And the first step for me? Write in my planner!
“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”
Proverbs 16:3
