Planning is Queen

Living a life of planning is an organiser's dream -- but not everybody loves the structure of shaped time and some prefer the joy of spontaneity...

Last week was an hallelujah to progress, Super Crocs and acceptance and this week has an aptly named title of, ‘Planning is Queen.’ The news about the progress is now feeling like a blurry haze, when you’re not really sure if you’re progressing at all, even if you know that your house build is entering the next stages of its project, but it’s nonetheless the work that creates the biggest dust clouds that reach far beyond its original location.

The electricians and plumbers are in. The builder is ending his project works as the structure is built and the tiles are now near enough covering the roof as he enters the final duties of his job. The plumber has a slightly easier role, as we’re venturing away from underfloor heating, (the conundrum I alluded to last week) as we resolved a window to floor measurement issue by reverting to some designer style rads instead. Crisis averted.

Today, my headphones are firmly squeezed to my ears as kitchen walls are chased for the new electrics and appliances that will be going in within the next couple of weeks. I’m cleaning the floors daily just so I don’t carry the remnants of wall throughout the rest of the whole house but I am still retaining my sanity. The sanity that I’ve been mentioning a lot lately and the teenagers have been busying themselves elsewhere for all the noisy stuff.

It would be very wrong of me to incite a perfect picture of stress-free building works and working from home projects, but it’s doable – especially when you plan. And that’s why ‘Planning is Queen’. Queen because, well, why not and planning because when you plan you can plan for change, challenges and adaptations where required.

I plan all the time within my consultancy business but I also plan for my work projects alongside how the house build is progressing and where I am needed or not needed to be to enable works to further progress.

With it being half term week, I am still working but I also plan around family time and spending time with my teens too. I have a mixture of work days set and time out to do other things, which is what I set out to do when I created my copywriting business 6 years ago – which was to offer myself flexibility whilst also offering my clients guaranteed work on the days that I promise and agree for it to be handed over.

That’s still why and will always be why I meticulously communicate with everyone in the household, why I always want to understand what is happening with our build and when, and with my clients too so that we all know what is expected and when, what I need from them in order to work forwards and what the expected outcomes will be.

A lot of what I do is from my phone and laptop and luckily, they can and will go anywhere. I have a friend who is a headteacher and she takes her work laptop into the garden during non-school days and half term. In order to prevent the glare she uses a cardboard box to divert the sun rays away from her laptop so she can enjoy the early summer warmth whilst she performs her administrative/leadership duties outside of the classroom and the usual school day.

You see, it’s not where you are but it’s what you do and how you plan for what you do that matters. Your location matters not one bit unless you can’t access WiFi and the resources you need. Your work can be created from anywhere unless you are contracted to be in a particular place. Your surroundings can be in the great outdoors or in your bed if that’s where you need or want to be.

I’m always thinking about what I’m doing and planning, even if I’m not typing about it. Planning for me enables me to do all of the things I want to do or sometimes the things I need to not do. That’s why planning will always be queen – not because I have my royal wave down to a fine art ( I do as it so happens but that’s for another article) but because planning carves out what we can achieve and when, who it needs to be for, what deadlines need to be met, the time you need to do it and making the time for the people that truly matter in your life too.

I know one of my daughter’s friends doesn’t enjoy planning. I’m probably not wrong in saying she hates it. More social events/activities than other things, as school dictates everything by plan and curriculum. Because to some people it can feel stifling and lacking in spontaneity. This particular friend doesn’t want to plan by time or by what’s happening, they’re a bit more free spirited, which we can laugh about because life would be boring if we were all the same — but I still love a plan. Because you can always plan for fun —right?

On week’s like these (where I know in time they won’t exist in the same way) I try to build in as much as possible with my lovely teens for as long as they’ll be in my company for, I am, however, still, also always planning. In my head if it’s not on paper and because that’s what us planning loving people thrive on and by which as a way of life becomes the parameters with which we to choose to work with.

Time is the commodity with which we use in order to achieve and do the things we want, need and seek to do. Not everything has to be planned for but planning offers a sense of freedom in knowing what is available to you and when. (And also, because my non-planning face doesn’t hide well. Especially with surprises. Even my children describe it as a non-satisfied, almost not wanting it to happen face.)

P.S The plasterers are in next week and the kitchen delivery is coming the week after. Find out if my sanity is still saved in the life behind the scenes of a business owner. I even had to wear my Super Crocs in the kitchen yesterday to avoid carrying mess back into the rest of our home. A planner is always thinking ahead.

P.P.S I have altered these articles slightly. I’m wanting to show the realities of running a business, the life that runs alongside it and the lessons that run both with having a business but in managing the life that you live with too. If you want to read something in particular just pop me a message and I’ll happily incorporate it into my weekly goings on.

P.P.P.S My son is also doing exams presently and with his autism, ADHD and dyslexia comes the planning of the environmental challenges and changes which can be triggered with a different routine. Some articles may include conversations around the balance of life for the neurodivergent too and how that has impacted us as a family but also how we/he works with it to combat challenge and to positively navigate day to day life. If you or someone you know would be interested in reads along these lines then they can sign up below.

NB: All artistic works are carried out by my creative, autistic son as part of his work experience connected to his college course.

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About Simply Amber Lou

Simply Amber Lou business copywriting services was founded by Amber Smith and is the home of business copywriting, content writing, course creation, copy power hours, copy packages, bespoke & bolt on services and copy audits, guided business copy teaching programmes, notebook designs and writing consultancy.

Our aim is to help business leaders to define their online voice and grow their audiences by writing sharp, smart and captivating content with over 20 years of professional business expertise.