I am a long range planner. For some, that is a wearisome trait since before they even entertain a future event, I've planned all the details. Is this good or not so good?
Why I am a long range planner
Mainly, I'm a long range planner because I am a big dreamer with limited resources. The only way I can make my dreams come true is to make long range plans that give me the time and focus to save money, get the best rates, and make the items I need to make rather than buy to fulfill my dreams. So while some may think that my long range planning is a ploy for control, it is actually a way to achieve dreams that are meaningful to me.
For example, to afford the big vacations we've gone on during our lives, I've had to think long range in order to save/earn airline points, get good rates via research and booking early, and save up time to have the days for that vacation. For special family events, it takes time too, and planning ahead and having something to look forward to gives me greater ability to not spend and patiently wait for the big event to come.
And, when I plan long range, there is a greater chance that my loved ones can join me since most need lead time to get time off work and save their money too to attend special events.
Is long range planning a good idea
As with all things in life, there is a balance here. Sometimes long range plans face challenges due to weather and other unexpected events. Sometimes, I plan long range, and unexpected events arise which means my plans are ruined. Over time, this has only happened a few times, so when I plan long range, I know this is a possibility, but unlikely so I'm willing to take the risk so that I can do some extraordinary things in life.
Also, to be overplanned sometimes takes away the surprise that serendipitous planning brings to an event. With this in mind, you can have some last minute events in life too. For example, I've got two low cost mini trips planned for good weather weekends. Sometime soon when the weather is good, my husband and I are just going to take off for one of these weekends of surprise--that will be fun too. Weekends like that are a nice complement to the long-planned vacations.
And, at times, you do miss out on people who don't want to plan long range. They may simply refuse to be apart of such plans. For people like that, you simply have to expect that they may not join you, and if you care a lot about them, you may decide to include them in some of your short-term plans or last minute events in order to spend time with them.
Overall, for those of us with limited resources, long range planning gives us a chance to experience life in ways that we would normally not be able to do, and this can truly enrich life. I'll continue to strike the balance between long range planning and serendipitous events. I've got a long list of places I want to visit and events I want to plan in the years ahead--I like the anticipation, creativity, and joy that comes from this list and the potential these plans hold for loving, good times ahead.