Let’s Hear it for: Planning Ahead

Another Way for week of April 23, 2021

Let’s Hear it for: Planning Ahead

Sixth in an eight-week series on “Let’s Hear It.”

Faithful followers of this column know I’m nearly through doing a series on a related theme. This has been a tool to keep me focused on what I’m going to write about next week and the next, etc. There is nothing worse than waking up two days before a column is due and panicking, what on earth am I going to write about this week?

Sometime around the end of January, I was drooping in the idea department and took a few minutes to probe my brain for things I wanted or felt compelled to write about. I knew readers (me too) were certainly getting tired of reading about pandemic this and vaccinate that, and wanted to provide a lift. So I went through my basket of ideas—literally random thoughts jotted down from time to time about possible column topics. I organized the ideas into a series that I thought would work—for me if for no one else. I don’t know if papers are using the little “editor’s note” at the top describing the current columns as a series, but whatever. That’s not the important thing. The important take away for readers is—as in this column, the beauty and blessing of planning ahead.

Planning ahead helps you can keep up with the chores you’d like to get done, menus that will keep you from the 4 o’clock panic of oh my what on earth are we going to have for dinner, people you need or want to call or drop a get well card to, people you need to contact about a church function or assignment. Or hobbies or projects or exercises you’d like to begin!

My daughter will forgive me I hope for using my favorite story here of her habit of procrastinating in middle and high school. By high school I didn’t always know what her assignments were, or looming special projects. The kind where you have to run to town to get special markers or paper or posterboard. Actually, if she needed Dad’s help—such as her idea to build a French guillotine (I kid you not)—she normally got him involved early enough in the assignment that she could work with him to build the horrible thing (which stayed in the darkest corner of my cellar for a number of years).

But one school morning she got up around 6:30 and said, “Oh yea, Mom, could you help me pull together a project for the science fair?” Eyes pleading.

“What!” I exclaimed. Then sighing, I probably said, “Maybe. When it is due?” and lowered my eyebrows into a motherly scowl.

“Today.”

I looked her in the eye, swallowed hard, and said, something like, well, get to work. I forget what she came up with and what I had to gather for her to complete it (I tried to keep posterboard on hand for such last minute calamities) and low and behold, she got it together with minimal help but lots of me cheering her on. And of course offering her a ride to school in our van rather than dragging it on the school bus which gave her a little extra time to finish. I think she got at least a C for her efforts.

So. Don’t procrastinate. Plan ahead. Get that list going. You know these things. As the Good Book says, “Happy are they who do these things.” (John 13:17, paraphrased).

And you know what? From my end, columns like this almost write themselves, at least for me. I start with a word or phrase and let my brain go and I truly hope it inspires you to get a task on your calendar or your refrigerator, marker board, bulletin board—or create a list somewhere. Have a wonderful week!

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Any last-minute homework finished or forgotten—or other—stories to share?

Does planning ahead make you feel organized–or guilty and stressed?

Comment here or send to anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com or Another Way Media, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834.

Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of nine books. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.