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Can Holding Too Tightly to Your Goal Hold You Back? (What Makes Something High Stakes and Why This is a ‘Bad Thing’?)

Planning for ‘Real’
I was interviewed for a summit this week and the interviewer asked me about planning. He’d read something I’d written about intentionality and inflexibility — how to set a direction and then remain open to what comes up as we move in the direction of achieving it, responding to problems or to new and better ideas.
As we talked, an example came to mind. My examples are often are simplistic, mundane even, because they’re places where I can easily see what’s happening and I hope then that my understanding transmits in some way to those listening (and you reading!).
I said,
OK, if I decide to take my dog out, one option is to go out of the door and wander around aimlessly — and some days I might do that.
Today, I can look out of the window, it’s a sunny day and I can see the hills, so I get an idea to go to the mountains. I prepare, I get a map, I think about my favourite routes, or I plan a new one, I take some water, whatever we might need.
I have intentionality, I have a plan, and I’ve prepared myself as much as it occurs to me to do so before I set off.