Tell Your Children to Plan for Surprises

Totally random but I had the tv on while cleaning the bedroom and the movie "Dan in Real Life" was on. I have seen this movie, and didn't remember enjoying it too much. Because of my ADD I tend not to "like" movies very much. They can't hold my attention, especially not ones that don't have that much action. Anywho....I got sucked into this movie. I found the character "Dan" very real life, and relatable. At the end of the movie "Dan" says "we are always telling our children to plan for the future, but maybe what we should be telling them is to plan for surprises".

WOW.

I was one of those kids always thinking/planning for the future. Heck, I still do that. I am a planner. After devotions in the morning I think through my day and write out a to-do list in the order that I think things should be done. I like to be able to check my boxes off in order (I am pretty sure we have discussed my OCD tendencies, so that is a mute point for this post). I love planning. I like to plan day to day, months at a time, and of course I love thinking about what life will look like in 5 years.

But it was recently the 5 year plan that began a complete and utter breakdown earlier this week. I have been super stressed about completing my thesis for my Masters degree. The due date changed from Nov. 1 to Sept. 22 (SURPRISE) and this has caused a huge uproar in my life. I had planned out exactly how many papers (11 in total) I had to have done each month. But then my months had to be switched to weeks, and I was not prepared.

I will have my Masters in Educational Leadership in December. A huge accomplishment, I get it. But my goal had always been to have my doctorate by the time I was 30. Well I have done the math. That is just not going to happen. Even if I started on my doctorate in Jan.

So my original plan of having my doctorate, being a principal (most possibly in FL), with a couple of kids, just isn't looking like it will be possible in 5 years. When all of this started coming down, with addition to the stress I have been under, I had an utter breakdown. All of my plans are coming apart. Or at least in 5 years it looks like I won't be where I have planned to be.

So "Dan's" words really hit me hard. Hello. I should be planning for surprises. The first part of 2010 should have shown me that. I am now trying to finish my thesis, I have switched grade levels, I am the team leader, and I am now training for a marathon. A year ago I did not have any of that on my radar.

I wonder if I just believe life is full of surprises, and then plan for them to happen; it will almost seem like I am right on track. Or maybe I just need to let go/reduce a few of my expectations. But overall, I think "Dan" is right. We should teach our children to plan for surprises.