Plans Without Actions Are Just Distractions
July 31st | By Maya Malan-Gonzalez & Alexandra Meda
Earlier this week Maya and Alex actually saw each other in person - A thing that had far more of an impact than we give credit to. We see each other every day on Zoom or Facetime and even though we connect like crazy, being together hits different in a way that makes it possible for some magic things to happen.
We sat down drafting out programming plans for the next TWO AND A HALF YEARS! Sounds basic to you? HA!
This was a herculean feat.
It was emotional.
Because the truth is, we are intentionally beginning to plan Luna’s sunset.
It was also emotional because Alex had covid last week and everything got messed up, and we all need a vacation, and summer is hot, and money is impossible, and Venezuela, and the world, and genocide, and oh my goodness at a certain point you sometimes just ask yourself HOW ARE WE ALL SURVIVING THIS? HOW ARE WE STILL MAKING PLANS AS IF EVERYTHING ISN’T UPSIDE DOWN?
But you know what? Plans aren’t for when everything makes sense, is easy, and is going according to.. plan. Planning.. strategic, intentional planning is so you don’t fall over in those moments of overwhelm. It is so that your smarter, better self can be leaned on and trusted in moments of chaos and doubt.
That’s right reader, we got plans, like a lot of them; audio projects, film projects, storytelling podcasts, more storytelling events, productions, festivals, workshops, and so much more our calendars are going to be exploding with programs that are meaningful to us and most importantly, work that brings us joy.
Maybe you’ve caught on, but we are obsessed with planning. Because dreaming is necessary, but dreams don’t manifest without a plan.
Plans change.
They adapt.
We change.
We pivot.
But we cannot make huge big ambitions come to life without A PLAN!
(Are you taking a shot everytime we say the word plan?)
We can’t even imagine life without our planners— Real talk—Maya is so much older on the inside than the outside that she still uses a paper planner and writes out everything she needs to do every day. Even though Alex pays for her to have a tech stack so thick it bounces. But let’s actually pause here and point out a big ‘ole lesson.
The basics are fundamental. If you find yourself falling off the planning or executing that plan wagon you have to do an audit.
Did I make it too complicated?
Am I planning the way others plan because it looks cool instead of what is natural and innate to me?
Did I let planning become the distraction that makes me feel like I am doing work, but instead just stay stuck in a planning tornado that doesn’t let me move forward?
Do I know my why’s or did I just barrel into making a calendar of to do’s. Without strong (and we mean stronger than your love for your fur-baby) convictions about WHY you want to do something and how you want to show up for yourself, there is no to do list, blueprint, roadmap, or strategic plan that can hold up to the million distractions that will actively take you away from the DOING. From the MAKING. From you showing up for you.
So what are we to do when it all starts to make us never want to get out of bed and take a shower again?
You get back to basics.
For Maya, its a paper planner.
For Alex, its a whole ass tech system.
What never changes is the need for accountability partners and creative genius ideas. And guess what, you have both of those. Let us be your accountability partner.
