RE: John Lennon, Zen, and the Plans We Never Make
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That nudges me to hold plans like a paper boat, useful until the water shifts, then let it go
Couldn't have said it any better myself!
Do you have a quick anchor you use when plans start to swallow the day, maybe a breath or a sound
I do Zen meditation twice a day, so that helps. Being mindful also helps. Recognizing small things such as "if I'm planning for more than a few minutes, it's probably more avoidance than planning". But no, there is no secret trick. The thing is, it happens to all of us, even the enlightened. The best thing I can tell you is a beginner technique in meditation. Try to focus on the breath and ignore the mind, but if you later find yourself having a conversation with the monkey in yoru head, just move your focus back to the breath. That's it. No becoming angry with yourself, no trying to figure out tricks for not listening to the monkey mind, no nothing, just gently try again.
That “if I’m planning for more than a few minutes, it’s probably avoidance” is a clean tell. I’ll pair it with your loop: notice the monkey, back to the breath, no drama. Do you ever add a tiny label like “planning” on the exhale, or do you keep it pure breath? Either way, the paper boat stays afloat until the water says otherwise.
If we are talking meditation time, then no, no labels. Just listen and try to avoid engaging with the mind. If planning, I just try to pay attention to what I'm doing and not get sucked into future dreams or other untrue things. These days I often just keep a simple list in a notebook. Anything more complex than that is usually overkill.
No labels in the sit and a simple notebook list feels clean. How do you notice when planning slips into a dream and not a real next step? Do you check the list at set times or only when a task is done? I usually realize I drifted when my breath gets tight, then the anchor helps.
I think for me, it's just a time thing. If I've spent too long planning, it's not planning. As for checking the list, I usually have it in front of me on the desk or somewhere in sight, so there is not much need to check. Out of sight out of mind, so if I hid it away somewhere, I'd probably forget about it.