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Why You Need a Vision and Plan
by Linda-Ann Stewart
When you choose to grow a garden, do you start watering the plot without planning what you want to grow in it? Or do you decide what plants you want, and till and fertilize the soil to make it receptive for those kinds of plants? Don't you clear the area of growth that doesn't fit with your plan? And then you choose seeds or seedlings you want and place them in the soil. To care for your garden, you water, feed the plants, and weed out what doesn't belong.
Your mind and life is like a garden. If you just jump into a garden, or life, without a vision or plan, you're going to receive what plants and seeds are already in that plot. By not sowing any new seeds, you can only harvest what is already growing there. You won't reap anything new. In this case, to misquote an investment disclaimer, "Past performance will indicate future results."
The Downside to Going with the Flow
Many people just want to go with the flow, having no intention, vision or plan. They want to follow instinct or intuition, without any real idea of what they want. This kind of philosophy is fine if you want to float through life. But if you want to change a habit, or achieve something, you have to be more deliberate.
The problem with the idea of just flowing is that it means you're acting on what's already in your subconscious. There's no new destination or goal. It's like watering a garden without putting any thought into what you want. You'll get what you get, not necessarily what you want. Your subconscious can only deliver on the ideas you've already sown into it. If you're simply following your subconscious, you'll wander in circles, never accomplishing anything new. And the weeds in the garden of your life may choke out most of the flowers.
The Role of Your Conscious and Subconscious
Your subconscious has a specific role to play in your life and it's a powerful one. Your subconscious is your problem solver, and where your creativity and insights come from. But your subconscious can't make decisions for you. Choices must come from your conscious mind to be fulfilled by your subconscious. Your subconscious uses all your knowledge and experience to help you achieve your intention. But your subconscious can't seek any outside information to help. New information has to come to, and through, your conscious mind.
Your conscious mind chooses your destination, intentions, goals or vision. Your subconscious provides you with the ideas, innovation and insights to realize them. When you have a vision and plan, you give your subconscious concrete information to work with. With a vision, your subconscious knows what to seek and scans your environment to help you. Your plan creates guiderails and makes it easier for your subconscious to locate and discover opportunities.
Tending Your Intention
In your garden or your life, not all the seeds you sow will germinate and not all of the plants will survive to maturity. The same is true of your vision and plan. You'll need to discover what didn't survive and why, and address that problem. It could be that you didn't tend to your garden as much as it needed or that the soil wasn't fertile enough. Maybe circumstances changed, and your vision and plan needs to be adjusted.
If you want better results in your life, you'll tend to the garden of your intention. A garden takes constant attention to support its growth and fertility. Only after putting in the effort will you reap the rewards. Your life deserves the same care, love and consideration as a garden.
Copyright © 2009-2023 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved
As a focus coach, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart motivates women to focus and transform their business through deliberate actions that break through distraction and overwhelm to greater success, freedom, wellbeing and prosperity. Watch her FREE training video on Set Your Course to Success: 4 steps to strategically achieve your goals with confidence and ease. Register for the video and accompanying action planning guide at www.SetYourCourseGuide.com. You can contact her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com or 928-600-0452.
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