The Dangers of Over-Planning

Thedangersofoverplanning

Over-planning can hinder dreams. Sometimes a dream just needs to live, as it does, in our heads and hearts—testing the waters, embracing free form, not adhering to a timeline. Dreams are meant to be whatever we want them to be, whatever they need to be. When we concentrate our dreams into creative outlets, business ventures or life, we diminish some of the magic. We are often left feeling frustrated by the very dreams that inspired us in the first place. We become caught up in the strategy and the profit. We are focused more on the results than the actual dream itself; and in the process, we lose our direct link to that fantasy state where dreaming is as natural as the blinking of an eye.

In many cases, over-planning can kill your dreams. That being said, there are moments where planning works wonders. But this article isn’t about planning as strategy; rather, it focuses on the side effects of over-planning. Like how over-planning can dampen our vital force and/or decrease synchronized energies—both of which are highly prized when it comes to turning dreams into reality.

Related: 7 Ways to Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

So how does a dreamer know when to plan and when to put the planning aside? That’s a matter of training yourself. It’s usually a direct result of a consistent meditation practice. If you don’t have a meditation practice and are on the practical side of building, you might consider easing on over to where a little stillness and mindfulness create miracles. That means less planning, like way less—like maybe even zero planning. That means allowing your dreams to work themselves out while you sit back, be human and enjoy your human experience.

1. Over-planning increases stress.

Stress causes our bodies to react in negative ways. Cortisol levels in the bloodstream increase, androgens cause breakouts, hair loss, libido changes and other nasty symptoms surface, all proving that stress in the body is unnatural and, in some cases, it can be devastating. Relaxing into dreams is much more. It’s simple, really.

Add a daily activity that allows you at least 10 minutes to get lost in your dreams. Whether it’s quite literally daydreaming or a guided meditation, participate in moments that decrease stress in the body and increase potential to manifest. Then watch your manifestation power grow.

2. Over-planning causes us to overthink.

Overthinking ruins things. Don’t believe me? Remember the last time you planned a party or a vacation down to every last detail and countable second? You went overboard only to realize that in over-planning you lost sight of the goal: to relish life. When all of our attention goes straight into planning, the dream itself is ignored. This starts a vicious cycle where overthinking and planning render us helpless, a total slave to the busy body and constantly activated mind.

Battle overthinking with meditation. The key to finding focus and clarity is to be inactive, to turn off the brain so it can align with our desires naturally, and in this way, we can get help from the universe.

3. Over-planning creates worry.

Worry is cancer. It has the potential to become actual cancer, but it’s also a mental cancer that spreads quickly and without warning. If we are not aware of the causes of anxiety on our dreams, we can destroy our dreams in a matter of days, hours, even minutes. Worry distracts positive intentions and attracts negative forces, which can block dreams from transforming into reality.

Energy goes where attention flows. If you are over-planning to the point of mental and physical exhaustion, you are inviting negative energy into your life. Over-planning to death defeats the purpose. Find joy in the process and let go of the burden of over-planning. Trust the journey and let the final product reveal itself organically.

4. Over-planning overstimulates.

We are a culture of busy. Over-planning is just one of many skills that humans have learned and learned a little too well. It gives us the impression we’re doing a lot when in actuality we’re spread so thin and lack focus that we end up doing nothing. It has become a bad habit that leads to multitasking and loss of concentration. Just because we plan, plan again, keep planning, then plan on top of planning doesn’t mean we’re doing the actual work that the dream demands. Being overstimulated can backlash. Side effects include the exact opposite of the original goal. Put any technology to work too hard and too long, and watch it break down—it’s the nature of things. Rest is part of any process, whether it be building or healing. Rest often, then repeat.

5. Over-planning is a trap.

Traps: Some of us might call them distractions. Over-planning is a distraction because it keeps us fed by the machine and into the machine instead of being fed by our own desires. When we disconnect from self, manifesting becomes a challenge. Here is where we fall victim to things like over-planning, anxiety and stress. In doing so, society ensures that we are plugged into the machine, filling our lives full of ideas rather than acting upon our dreams.

Over-planning is about setting up the project, but not always putting it into motion. Instead of over-planning, try taking small steps toward the outcome and see if the dream doesn’t come to fruition sooner and feel less intimidating.

Not every dream needs us to be involved at every step. Simply putting the intention out there and believing can be equally as powerful as the moments when we feel the urgency to be proactive. The secret lies in knowing when to engage in which activity and for how long. The secret is in knowing self and trusting the universe to do its work—in letting go and putting a stop to the over-planning model.

Related: 15 Inspiring Quotes About Being a Dreamer

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Jacklyn Janeksela, MFA, is a freelance writer and a poet. Her online self, aka that writing life, can be found here. She works for Culture Designers, Thrillist, Honey Colony, among others; her poetry is tangled on the inter-webs. Her herbal alchemy meets astrology creative business can be found here. She explores self through poetry, planets and photography @ female filet.

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