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I need to come clean about something.

I know I’ll get pushback about this, and this email might even offend some people I respect, but I need to tell you the truth. 

Here it goes… 

I hate business planning. 

Like, really, deeply, profoundly hate it. 

It consistently ranks in my top five list of things I can’t stand. At the moment, it’s beets, arugula, mouth noises, business planning, and Lin Manuel Miranda. 

[Content Warning: This email explains why I hate mainstream planning strategies and what I suggest doing instead. If you’re a planner and planning works for you, please read this with a grain of salt. I’m not judging you. I always want you to do what works for you. This message is specifically for the folks who need something different.] 

For over a decade, I’ve tried to squeeze myself into the matrix of annual/quarterly/monthly planning espoused by the “productivity experts” on the internet. 

My frontal lobe is full of planning detritus: Snippets from YouTube videos, unfinished worksheets, and a Full Focus Planner subscription I abandoned after five months. These bits and pieces of strategic advice float around my mind like space junk orbiting the Earth. 

No matter what strategy or productivity tool I use, sitting down to “make a plan” will trigger a Michael Scott-inspired tantrum. 

“Why isn’t this working for me?” I wonder. 

“Probably because you’re a lazy loser who isn’t motivated enough to stay focused and organized,” my inner critic replies. 

I’m not unmotivated, and I’m not resisting planning because I’m a cranky contrarian who gets off on disagreeing with public opinion. 

The truth is that business planning is not in alignment with my philosophical beliefs about the universe. 💫

My body knows we’re all connected—humans, plants, animals. 

I believe we’re here to help each other heal and luxuriate in joy, peace, and belonging. I believe life (and business) are much simpler than we make them out to be. 

This belief allows me to embrace the idea that there is a divine order working itself out all around us. 

I am but a single blade of grass in a lush meadow, a tiny mushroom growing on the forest floor, one voice in a chorus of billions. 

This belief is entirely at odds with our capitalist culture, which runs on the fuel of separateness and personal responsibility. Our society has tricked us into believing we are independent operators competing for a finite amount of resources. 

Ever seen Mad Max? It’s basically a documentary.

When I imagine myself competing with you, I feel an urge to achieve as much as possible, as fast as possible. It’s a race to the finish line, and I need a plan to help me reach that finish line before you do.  

In other words, I need a plan to help me outrun you. 

That doesn’t feel good, does it? 

When I release the narrative that I’m different from you and instead relax into the truth that we are all here together, my heart opens, and the possibilities for my work become limitless.

When I release myself from the grip of separateness and competition, I no longer… 

→ fall prey to compare-and-despair when I see the fantastic things you’re accomplishing in your business
→ feel paralyzed by perfectionism whenever I’m trying to articulate a new thought or idea
→ hustle, grind, or push myself to go faster than my body naturally wants to go 

When I embrace that we are here to work together for the greater good, I feel… 

→ expansive, like anything is possible
→ patient, knowing I can trust in the timing of things
→ creative, bursting at the seams with new ideas 

Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “We are literally stardust. You have a kinship with the cosmos! That feeling to me is greater than any ego you could have possibly walked into the room with.” 

(In this case, replace ego with plan.)

Did you know you are literally made of stardust? 

Forcing your mind to define arbitrary goals that satisfy the capitalist itch to be productive doesn’t sound like a job for someone made of stardust, does it? 

I don’t think so. 

But we’re taught that planning is the only way to make meaningful progress in our businesses, and “meaningful progress” is measured by our productivity. 

To prove your productivity, you must have something to show for your efforts: more clients, more money, more publications, more subscribers on your email list. Constant growth quarter-over-quarter is required to prove that your plan is working.  

More, more, more. Faster, faster, faster. 

Honestly, I’m tired of running. 

I’m tired of trying to be faster, smarter, and more original than you. It’s not even possible! Because we’re all the same! We’re here for the same purpose, and we’re being asked to work together. 

But what does this stardust-woo-woo-mumbo-jumbo mean in practical, real-world terms? Great question. 

Too often, these philosophical conversations leave me feeling untethered. There’s resonance in my body, but my mind is totally confused. Panicked, even. 

“Okay,” she says, “I get that you’re excited about this, but what am I supposed to do? What’s my job? We have bills to pay, Maegan!!!” 

I know, it’s true! 

We all have bills to pay and tasks to complete. We can’t forget about these things. The reality is we’re walking in two worlds here, weaving a bridge between the spiritual and the practical. That’s hard to do. 

But not impossible. 

If these ideas resonate in your body, I want to keep this conversation going by sharing practical ideas about how to loosen your grip on “the plan” and relax into a more trusting, organic unfolding for your life and business. 

But this email is already long, so I won’t get into it all today. 

Here’s what you can expect over the next few weeks: 

Part 1 (that’s today!) → Scroll down to the bottom of this email to skim through the 4 Signs Traditional Planning Isn’t For You. 

Part 2 (coming next week) → I’ll walk you through the “anti-planning process” I use to channel more ease and flow in my business. Even though I’m not using traditional planning methods, it’s essential to work within a structure to stay focused and aligned with my vision for my work. This is how I keep the woo-woo grounded in reality. 

Part 3 (released in 2 weeks) → Finally, I’ll share the areas in my business that I’ve found are most important for ensuring I can make the money I need to live an abundant life with ease. Because, again, this is the society we live in, and we need financial security to thrive.

Anything else you want to know? Questions you’re curious about? 

Hit reply and ask me anything. 

4 Signs Traditional Planning Isn’t For You

1. You avoid planning like the plague. 

For years, I believed my greatest work-related weakness was avoiding things that felt hard, like planning. But now I know I was misreading the signs. 

If you avoid planning, it does not mean you’re a lazy procrastinator. It means you’re really good at listening to your intuition and allowing your body to lead the way. Stop judging your avoidance and get curious about what strategy feels more aligned for you.

2. Honestly, you’re just really bad at planning. 

When you sit down to plan, your body resists. There is no ease in the process. It feels like you’re forcing your pen to move on the page—like you’re just making things up to complete the assignment, and you’re not pleased with the end result. You feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and disheartened. 

This isn’t because you’re bad at planning. You’re struggling because this planning strategy isn’t right for you. It’s like forcing a leftie to write with their right hand. That’s cruel! Don’t force yourself to do something that isn’t natural. You need a strategy that feels easy and aligned.

3. You feel disconnected from your intuition and creative flow.

When I try to follow a rigid plan, I get locked into my thinky-thinky brain. My mind goes into overdrive, trying to actualize the vision from the plan. I feel stressed and tired. 

Eventually, I realize I’ve lost connection with my intuition. I can’t feel myself or hear the quiet whispers I’ve come to love. And creativity? Forget about it. Writing feels hard, I have no inspired ideas, and working with clients gives me a headache.

4. You notice yourself defaulting to an extractive mindset. 

When you organize your plan around meeting success metrics (e.g., more money, subscribers, clients), it’s easy to fall into an extractive mindset, where you’re hyper-focused on getting what you need to reach your goals. 

This often involves taking resources, asking for favors, or depleting your energy reserves without giving back or considering the long-term consequences of what you’re taking from others and yourself. 

When you default to this extractive mindset, you stop prioritizing exchanges based on sustainability and reciprocity because all your attention is focused on reaching your goals. 

This extractive mindset is heavily influenced by colonialism, capitalism, white supremacy, etc. You know, all the things that suck the most about our world at present. This is a bigger conversation we can have another time. 

For now, notice if you’re making choices in service of your plan that don’t align with how you want to show up in the world. It’s a good sign you’d benefit from a different approach to planning.

Resonate with any of these signs?
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, where I’ll share the “anti-planning process” I use to channel more ease and flow in my business (without sacrificing my paycheck).