I am a planner by nature. I believe I’ve admitted before that this should have been my career. Planning in some guise or other, whether as an EA running someone else’s life, or a travel planner, or an events planner, or a book planner (I wish this were a real job -- can I admit that I love planning a story about 1000% more than actually writing it?)
This extends beyond writing to other areas of my life. Perhaps I should say, to ALL areas of my life.
I have a spreadsheet for pretty much everything. Books read, books bought and unread, books wishlisted. Finances, macro and micro. Shares. Frequent flyer points. Credit card spending. I do a weekly meal plan and shopping list according to the menu. (Full disclosure: I don’t always stick to the plan, but that’s another story!)
My greatest enjoyment of all comes from travel planning. My family cannot believe how much time and effort I put into the process, but here’s the thing: I do it because I love it. The googling, the reading, the budgeting. The shuffling of options. If only we could stay at ALL the hotels on my carefully curated list! If only we could do ALL the day-trips! If only we had more days, more nights, more weeks!
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| Afternoon tea with a view: Aqua Shard |
Our big trip this year is to London, primarily to visit our son and daughter-in-law, but with a side-trip or three. Hence my wish for more time than we can afford to take!
I've decided in recent years that every trip should include at least one bucket-list item and special treat. The treat is likely to be food and beverage related, something I would usually reject as ridiculously overpriced or unhealthily calorific (or both!) A starred restaurant or cocktails with a view or an afternoon tea somewhere iconic. That kind of thing.
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| A room with a view: Hotel Endsleigh |
As for the bucket-list, I'm tossing up between staying in a castle or a grand country house which, come to think of it, would also be a special treat. But, oh, the fun of the research. The choices! The rooms! The history! The countryside views! THE FOOD!
Decisions must be made at some stage in the next few months, and then bookings. But for now we’ve locked in the flights (a big bucket-list tick) and booked accommodation for our London stay. The rest I’m dragging out while loving every day of anticipation.
How about you... Do you love the planning almost as much as (or even more than) the doing?
What do you like to plan, and what areas of your life do you prefer to wing?
