Vision, Goals, Rituals, and Plans
Spiral Shower 5.23.22
Life does not always go according to plan. We all know this, but when do we know when it’s time to snap things into place? Or, when is it time to let things fall into place? Who is to say what place is the correct place, anyway? Or is it all arbitrary?
I have been grappling with this a lot lately.
We only have so much energy in each day. And while it is important to work toward being the person you want to be, this should never come at the expense of the moment life is offering you right now.
You could focus on a vision. Envision where it is you want to end up, how you want to feel. Embody the energy that you want to bring into this world. Be before you have.
You can focus on a goal. Give yourself a task or a small project to start with, and forge a path to get there.
You can focus on a ritual. Set up your morning and evening routines to ensure that your habits reflect the life you want to live. Plant the seeds every day that will help you grow into the person you want to become.
You can focus on a plan. Map things out, from A to Z, to make sure your current habits are leading to your desired outcome. Your vision may guide this plan, your rituals may support it, and your goals may inform where you’re aiming. The plan ties it all together.
Or, you can surrender. Let go of the ego’s control and respond to what comes to you instinctually.
So should we focus on the vision, goal, ritual, or plan? Or should we let it all go and listen to our instincts, moment by moment?
My dad told me the other day, “Meghan, you have enough goals. You need to make a plan.” And he was right, I know a lot of things I want to do in my life and in my career. I have spent most of my early 20s focused on vision. More recently, I had written a note-to-self that I need to prioritize rituals in my life. Rather than crashing and burning, I wanted to grow more stamina to do the things I want to do all the time. Writing this newsletter is a good example for this. I want writing to be a major part of my life, not something I dream about. Not just something I plan for and gear up my energy to do every once and a while.
I bring these up into categories because I feel like we all have our own preferred way to try and control our perception of reality. Are we thinking about the seed we are planting, the steps we will take, our end goal,our regimen? We all fixate on whatever it is we think we can control to help usher in the life we’d rather live.
Do you feel like you are more able to control your habits, or your to do list? Do you feel more capable tuning into a vision, or taking the first step?
No matter what your coping mechanism is.. we still need to balance this with surrender. We need to truly let go of the reigns sometimes and see what life throws at us. This can only happen when the ego loosens its grip on our consciousness and we give room for our shadows to breathe. Instead of tyrannically ruling over our shadows, these hidden areas of the psyche can begin to see the light of dawn.
On a similar note, I made a thread on Twitter recently that talked about the J/P dichotomy (Judging and Perceiving) in the MBTI. It is worth noting that all of the personality types may struggle with executive functioning.
While P types may be more likely to control the moment, J types may be more likely to control the overall story of their life. In my experience, NJs are really focused on destiny and vision, SJs on security and step-by-step plans, SPs on short-term goals, and NPs illustrating a dream life picture.
It is not as simple as Js are planners and Ps are go with the flow. It is also worth noting that even Ps, who may seem more adaptable, still are dealing with ego control. It is just that the types who prefer extroverted perception will have an ego attachment to the objective moment, and those who prefer introverted perception will have an ego attachment to a string of moments. We are all trying to control something and we can all benefit from ego surrender. Your pysche will thank you, as the individuation process may feel easier. This is just one way to eliminate resistance, and this is something I’ve been thinking about this week.
Let me know your type and how you balance vision, goals, rituals and plans in a comment below!