I do not often make plans. Neither for my life, nor for my business. Anymore. For two reasons. The simplest; I have given up. The other, which may be debatable; I do not really see the purpose.
At one stage in life, I stopped making plans, setting goals, forming strategies, scheduling. The disappointment that followed neatly, the time and money investments going waste, the inefficient re-planning, by unforeseen circumstances repeatedly interfering. I started reflecting on the deeper meaning of goals. A goal is a desired and directed result, and should be motivating. But if a goal makes us feel nothing but stressed and insufficient in the heading for it, what is it for? When doing our best is never felt good enough? When the feeling of failure comes sneaking in as a prepaid prize? Then, why goals? I had to start thinking new.
As a mum of two, studying, and building my own business, I learned to organize in a different way. I realized the only resistance to, the only way to fight back, the uncontrollable, is with flexibility. Then power is gained back. However, I feel I am breaking with every academic knowledge I have attained from business school. Will my strategy work in the long run, I wonder. It remains to see. Maybe there exist other approaches, but including how to add happiness to it all and making a life feeling meaningful? I do not know… I will interestedly listen if you may have another recipe.
The things is, life itself is about variables. Life is a huge variable! So is business. Encircled in the changeable. We cannot control it all. We cannot foresee it all. We can only adapt to it. Reschedule deadlines, rearrange plans, replace goals… or choose a completely different strategy.
The challenge is, all through life we are indoctrinated with an idea of constantly controlling, setting goals, having ambitions, and striving for success. Life, and the quality of life, is in the next round measured in the achieved amount of success. Of which, one might question what success is. What parameters do we usually use to define success? Do you want success? Do I want success? Automatically we might voice a yes, but do we really? Honestly, I do not like the term ‘success’, and, no, I am not striving for it. I am striving, but not for that. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am: I am determined to work for a feeling of mastering, as that is rewarded. That is a reward in itself, as happiness during a process. Working towards success, as we usually define it in numbers and figures, money, and status is not a guarantee for happiness in the future, we might not even get there, and on the way we might blindly downgrade what brings joy and meaning to us.
I have, started following my dreams, instead, for my life, and for my business. I find life, where my business is, too big to fit into a schematic planner. I am consuming notebooks instead and memory. There is something exciting and special about overturing a new notebook, the blank pages. It is like they are all offering new little beautiful beginnings. There are no deadlines, no timeframes, no calendar dates, nothing framing, nothing limiting. Only the blank pages, with room for everything: notes, sketches, failures, patience, moments with hot chocolate, nature, slower living, and a flow of ideas and dreams, undisturbedly. When turning pages back, I can see what is accomplished, giving a feeling of growth, fulfilment and happiness. Besides, reminding myself kindly of my dreams and ideas, and to stay focused. What I do not see are plans and timeframes broken, goals unmet, moments gone. When turning pages forth, there is nothing in the way making me lose sight of my dreams.
But, what is actually the difference between plans and goals, passion and dreams? Is there a difference, we might question.
I am opinioning a dream is the largely imagined picture of something onward, coming from an inner wish and desire deeply rooted in what is us. Like a guiding power, leading consciously and unconsciously towardsly, if we let it. Further, I am thinking passion is the tool and energy we need to transform a dream into realism, our individual abilities taken into consideration. Like an enthusiasm, a strong inner motivation. With passion comes a feeling of happiness, with a dream comes a satisfying childish longing and wishing.
I would say following dreams is the only true guiding constant in a variable life, as directing priorities and balance in a bigger perspective, where plans and goals could easily block for true enthusiasm, and true ambition.
Dreams start developing in childhood already, clearly imagined in mind and heart. Perhaps, at the stage we are beginning to get to know ourselves? Like a self awareness? Why do we get these dreams? These dreamingly pictures of the future? Must be for a reason? Even being young, we may actually already know some of things we want from life…? What to achieve from it? How to develop, how to fulfil ourselves to a happy living? Should we not listen to those dreams, capitalize our strengths and abilities; try to transform those strong wishes and ideas into reality? Not just sweep them off as unimportant and unrealistic, as something embarrasing? Should we not keep the childish naïve mind, and be ourselves, which may actually bring something, something bigger to us, from us?
I have started believing in holding on to dreams. Dreams is how I now navigate in life, how I am finding my own way. Einstein said, “Never give up on what you really want to do”. I think that is the most important advice we should get in life. We should dare to dream more… I should dare to dream more. “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions”, the wise man said. What do you think?
Thanks for following me on my journey!
Irene Brenna
CEO and Founder
Prinser & Prinsesser