Can you just sit back and wait for things to happen? Or must you be in control?
By vivasuzi
@vivasuzi (4127)
United States
December 20, 2011 12:00pm CST
I'm usually a planner. I like to know the when's and where's of everything we are going to be doing. I can be spontaneous to a point, but in general I like to plan - especially when it involves other people. I get antsy if I have plans with people and they aren't nailing down a time or place to meet (for example). I worry that if I don't speak up, things will all be planned wrong and everything will go wrong. My mind is always full of what-if scenarios.
Lately I'm trying to be more patient. I'm trying to let things fall as they may. When we are making plans, I'm waiting to see if other people pick the time and place or figure out the occasion and I just can show up! So far, it seems to be working in my favor. The last few times I just waited - and things worked out even better than I could have imagined. Plans fell into place and I got things to go exactly how I would have wanted. All I had to do was sit back and wait.
How about you? Do you like to sit back and wait? Or must you plan everything? It's hard to sit and wait - especially when the occasion is sometimes only days away and I still don't know what's going on! But in the end by staying out of it, I'm getting what I want. I think I just need to stop thinking of all the possible things that could go wrong and instead focus on what could go right.
2 people like this
5 responses
@davaome (1826)
• Philippines
20 Dec 11
I think I will be in somewhere in the middle 
, I want to be in control, but there are things that just fall into place when you just let it happen :) I have this 4 stages that i keep in mind so that I would still be in control.
Planning- self explanatory
Appraisal- giving a thorough assessment on the plan, if it is possible and if there are any loop holes
Executing the plan- Execution of the plan
Monitoring- the execution should be according to plan
and usually the things that you just wait until it happens occur during the monitoring part.
, I want to be in control, but there are things that just fall into place when you just let it happen :) I have this 4 stages that i keep in mind so that I would still be in control.
Planning- self explanatory
Appraisal- giving a thorough assessment on the plan, if it is possible and if there are any loop holes
Executing the plan- Execution of the plan
Monitoring- the execution should be according to plan
and usually the things that you just wait until it happens occur during the monitoring part.@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
21 Dec 11
Very thorough planning! I like the Appraisal phase - that is what I do! I like to see what could possibly go wrong and how to avoid those things. I do spend a lot of time monitoring and making sure things go to plan :-D Lol, your list describes me very well!
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
21 Dec 11
I like to sit back and let things happens I don't like planing everything put. I do plan like vacations the where and what time we leave and doctors appointments that is it. I like life to just to happen and go with it.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
21 Dec 11
If I just let life happen all the time, I'd never get to do anything fun :) Because sometimes what happens is plans are put off until the last minute, and then when we finally decide to do it someone isn't available that day, or the place is closed, or whatever the case may be. When other people are involved, it's hard to just wait and see what happens.
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
22 Dec 11
My family just does things in it's own time. I don't like controlling things or trying to keep things in control I just let them happe
Because that is like things are unexpected and it's always worked for us. The only time I plan this is vacations but we don't plan what we are going to do on vaction. Some people need control and other people don't.
@picjim (3002)
• India
21 Dec 11
Its good to plan ahead.
But things will not always go as planned
So,we have to be prepared for others view as it may be drastically different from ours.You have come precisely to the point when you say one has to be patient.We would like things to go according to plan or at our own pace but others have other ideas and priorities making it difficult.
But with improvisation on the moment and careful planning we can in the long run see that our goals are accomplished.I too plan but not too much.I allow myself to adapt to the changed circumstances as things always will not go in our favor or according to plan.
But things will not always go as plannedSo,we have to be prepared for others view as it may be drastically different from ours.You have come precisely to the point when you say one has to be patient.We would like things to go according to plan or at our own pace but others have other ideas and priorities making it difficult.But with improvisation on the moment and careful planning we can in the long run see that our goals are accomplished.I too plan but not too much.I allow myself to adapt to the changed circumstances as things always will not go in our favor or according to plan.@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
21 Dec 11
I think the reason I get impatient is because some of the people I deal with are not worried about the details. They just pick a day to get together and figure it will all work out. They aren't worried about where we go or what we do. However, I'm sitting here thinking of all the possibilities and what would be best for the kids, etc etc. I like to think things through!
It's hard to be patient but I'm trying. Maybe if I just wait and sit back, these people will start putting more thought into their plans so I don't have to do all the planning myself.
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
21 Dec 11
I have found that i can be quite controlling at times. i don't like to sit back and wait for things to happen. It makes me too impqtient. i like to give a little push at what i am after. i don't know that it helps, but i feel better aboiut it anyway.@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
21 Dec 11
I do give little pushes here and there too. If we have plans for a certain day and no one has called to say where we are going or what we are doing, I may do a little "push" or casually bring it up. I don't think people realize how much I think about these occasions because I want to know the who, what, when and where of it all.
@early3 (60)
• Philippines
21 Dec 11
As for me, I am both. I wanted to plan like you so that things may turn out for the better with careful planning. What I do is plan ahead, assess, execute and monitor what will happen next.
And the wait and see thing, there are circumstances that is beyond our control and we must leave it as it is and wait what will be next. If things went wrong maybe it is meant to happen then I can go to the next one, if not then no problem.
