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[This is Part 4 of my Anti-Planning series. Today’s installment is about creating a structure in your business that is focused and flexible.]

The last two weeks of my life have been a chaotic mess. 

My experiences can be summarized by this picture of my garden bed that SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTED during the heatwave.

Jonathan casually glanced out the kitchen window and noticed a strange haze in the sky. “I need to clean that dirty window,” he thought (which is true—our windows are filthy). But intuition nudged him to take a closer look, and lo and behold, the garden bed was ablaze. He went into full firefighter mode, locking the dogs inside and running out to extinguish the flames with our water hose. 

While he was busy saving lives, I was busy lounging in the sunshine at my local bathhouse. When I came home, I noticed a strange smell and asked, “Mmm, are you cooking sausages?” 

No, he was not cooking sausages. 

He was SAVING OUR HOUSE FROM BURNING DOWN. 😰

That same week, I faced the return of a stalker client from ten years ago, experienced two semi-expected but still heartbreaking friendship breakups, and finished a personal essay detailing my greatest trauma that will, once published, ruffle feathers. 

And while all of this is happening, I’m trying to write a weekly email series about anti-planning. Coincidence? I think not.

The events of the past few weeks and the deep grief I’m feeling over the loss of my friendships have thrown my well-laid plans for July out the window. 

If I used traditional business planning, I’d be in a panic. Getting one month behind when working within a 12-month plan can be catastrophic. I’d be overwhelmed with dread and disappointment, doubting if I was capable of being a business owner.

If I didn’t use any systems at all, I’d be lost, aimless, and unsure how to claw my way back to the surface. 

Luckily, I’m using my Anti-Planning method, which feels like just the right amount of structure to help me ride the waves of chaos cresting through my life without losing sight of the projects I’m working on or sacrificing the money I need to make to pay the bills. 

I guess you could say I’m the Goldilocks of business planning.

Today, I’m going to share the final step of my Anti-Planning method. 

This is where we call on your logical mind to help weave together everything you’ve done in Steps 1-3 to ensure you can transform your daydreams into real-life revenue-generating projects. 👍

Step 4. Commit to Structure 

Over the last 12 years, I’ve built two successful businesses without using traditional planning methods. 

One of those businesses is an employee-based group practice that will generate $2+ million in revenue this year. The other is this business, which is much smaller than the group practice but more purposeful for me. This business pays me, my full-time manager, and a smattering of virtual assistants for various tasks. Two very different, and both very profitable, business models that thrive using the Anti-Planning method. 

My point is that I’m not pulling these ideas out of my ass. 

I mean, I pulled them out of my ass at one point, but then it worked, so now it’s evidence-based practice. 😉

In my quest to become deeply rested and wildly successful, I’ve learned that I need a structure that holds me accountable to my intentions without stifling my creativity or burying me in burnout. 

I need a structure that is both focused and flexible. 

(Yes, my two favorite F words!) 

Sometimes, life spontaneously combusts, and we have to reconfigure our expectations. That’s the flexible part. The more easily I can flow with the river of my life, the more rested and successful I feel in my business. 

Now, let’s talk about focus. 

Focus is hard for me, and I think this is true for many creative business owners. We could all be diagnosed with Shiny Object Syndrome. We’re bursting at the seams with ideas, jumping around like frogs on lily pads from one idea to the next. We have a list of projects we’ve sort of started and an even longer list of dreams we have a sinking suspicion will never see the light of day. 

The problem isn’t that we have too many ideas. The problem is that we don’t have enough focus to bring any one idea to fruition. 

Once you’ve clarified your beliefs, loosened your grip on fear and perfectionism, and tapped into your intuition to decide what business projects you want to work on, it’s time to create a structure that will most effectively help you bring to life the projects you’re feeling called to create. 

Now is the time to call in support from your logical mind! 

My logical mind is an excellent collaborator with my creativity and intuition. Logic helps me identify what I need to stay focused on my intentions. It also helps me adjust my expectations when needed. 

I’m going to share my structure with you now, but please note that the key here is for you to create your own unique structure. It might look similar to mine, or it might be totally different. All that matters is that it works for you. 

The key is to create a structure that helps you… 

>> Clarify your intentions and current projects
>> Outline the tasks needed to complete your projects
>> Create short-term timelines to keep you focused
>> Commit to regular check-ins so you can adjust as needed

I’ve committed to a structure that revolves around the seasons and consists of a series of meetings my manager and I schedule three months in advance. 

Here’s an example of our meeting schedule: 

Seasonal Intention Setting (every ~3 months) 

We meet for two hours about a month before the following equinox or solstice to think through our intentions for the coming season. 

During this meeting, I check in with my intuition to see what projects want to come forward next (Step 3) and revisit my stated spiritual beliefs to ensure I’m operating in alignment with my values (Step 1). 

When approaching a new season, it’s helpful to ask yourself what changes you want to make in your life as the weather changes. To give you an idea of what this might look like, check out this newsletter I wrote about my process for setting summer intentions.

Sometimes, the projects I’m working on take more than one season to complete. For example, we’ve been working on creating the Deeply Rested podcast since spring, and this work will continue into the fall. The key is not to forecast beyond the next three months, even when working on long-term projects. That’s when things get rigid, and I begin to feel upset when things don’t work out as planned. 

This meeting allows us to clarify our projects for the coming season and roughly outline the tasks needed to complete these projects. We organize our tasks into months, but this is super flexible. 

For example, due to Spontaneous Combustion, I completed almost zero of the tasks we “assigned” to the month of July. Am I upset? Maybe a smidge disappointed, but it’s no big deal because we’re just shifting everything back a month. Since I don’t have a rigid plan for the fall, I’m not stressed about having to delay my plans for the rest of the year. But I know where I stand and what needs to happen next to move my podcast project forward. 

Once you know what projects you will be working on during the next season and you’ve roughly outlined the tasks you need to complete each month, it’s time to schedule your monthly check-in meetings. 

Monthly Check-In (~1x per month) 

Each month, we meet for two hours to look at our current state of affairs. We ask ourselves questions like: 

>> How are our projects progressing?
>> How are we feeling personally?
>> What is going well? What is not going well?
>> Is anything feeling out of alignment?
>> What do we need to change or adjust moving forward? 

Then we outline a focus for each week of the month. Short-term timelines keep me focused. Long-term timelines stress me out. Giving myself monthly containers feels like just enough focus to keep me moving without getting overwhelmed.  

But remember, you should create a timeline that feels good for you. This is just an example of what works for me. It’s not gospel!

Finally, because life happens faster than I can keep up, we do weekly check-ins to see how things are going. 

Weekly Check-In (~1x per week) 

Every Monday, we meet for one hour to outline our plans for the week. Before our meeting, we go outside for a long walk or hike in the forest. This helps us connect to ourselves and the earth before we go into our logical minds to think about projects and tasks. 

During this meeting, we usually:  

>> Review the calendar for the week ahead
>> Check-in regarding our plan for the month
>> Identify anything we need to feel supported
>> Talk about how we’re feeling personally
>> Change or adjust any plans as needed 

Trust me, something is always being adjusted. This isn’t a problem; it’s just the process. We are focused and flexible. The fluidity created by this combination is exciting and energizing and always leads us exactly where we need to go. ✨

So, that’s it. That’s my structure. 

I attune to the seasons, then use my intuition to decide where to focus my energy, and finally, give myself short-term timelines to help bring my intentions to life. 

Finally, here are three pro-tips to help you integrate anti-planning into your life and business… 

Pro-Tip #1 → Don’t do it alone! 

You might’ve noticed I talked a lot about “we” in these examples. 

I’ve learned I’m not good at creating structure and staying focused alone. I’m an introvert, but I do not work well in isolation. My manager, Nancy, is a vital partner in my Anti-Planning process. 

If you don’t have a manager or assistant to help you with planning, don’t despair! I recommend finding a business buddy and doing this process together. Shared accountability and co-working were game-changers for me in the solo days of my business. 

Pro-Tip #2 → Give yourself permission to change your mind. 

The beauty of anti-planning is that you get to change your mind as often as you’d like. Some people call this indecisiveness, I call it deconditioning from colonial capitalism. 

Try something new. If it doesn’t work, scrap it. If your intuition tells you it’s time to let it go, release it. If you get bored and want to move towards something more exciting, do it. 

You’re allowed to change your mind. Trust yourself. 

Pro-Tip #3 → Remember to rinse and repeat. 

Remember that everything is cyclical, including the Anti-Planning process. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it method. Our aim is to connect more deeply to the natural rhythms of life. That requires returning to the garden, again and again, especially when you think all is lost and you want to give up forever. 

When you’re struggling, remember to breathe. 

Reconnect to your spiritual beliefs, like “One Door Opens Another.” 

Notice where you’re gripping with fear. Release. 

Tune into your intuition to see what wants to come through next. 

Use your logical mind to bring that vision to life. 

Rinse and repeat. 

May we all be lucky enough to do this a million more times. ❤️