on planning

It seems that the plans we make never get used, at least in their original form. They help cope with uncertainty, but they don't solve it outright. Circumstances shape-shift before we even leave the starting line.

Are plans silly and a waste of time?

I think plans create more stress than they are supposed to reduce. When you plan, you necessarily over-examine and prepare for events that will never happen. And still, plans can only account for a limited number of future possibilities. What actually transpires is usually a shock (especially on longer timescales).

Despite how it looks, I'm not advocating for a no-planning approach to life. That sounds dreadfully scary—worse than making unused plans. But it's important to realize the limits of planning and always remember that the grand scheme is flowing water, not concrete.

Even if our planned realities never come to fruition, planning teaches us to think critically and creatively, two skills needed when you must react in the present moment and rewrite everything.

Ultimately, learning to face the present with grace is infinitely valuable because that's all there is: a sequence of present moments lined up like dominoes, creating the illusion of past and future.