Cancelling Plans - November is just a lot to get through

Every year I make the mistake of overplanning our lives, and I'm trying to get better about it, but I feel like NOT planning is setting us up for disaster. HELP!

Oct 31, 2023

I’m a planner and proud of it, and I know a lot of other people who are too, but lately it’s seemed that my planning is not always good for us. Today I’m sharing a bit of what I’ve learned about being flexible (which I’m selectively good at), about how I’m managing stress during my busiest time of year, and what I’m looking forward to. I feel like those three things bring balance to each other.

And before I forget, I would love to lock in dates and destination for 2024 group trips. I have one set for June in Alaska (details here!) and would love to confirm one or two more. PLEASE, take two minutes and complete THIS SURVEY so I can lock in our plan. Thank you!

One more thing. I know that summer is now 7+ months away (depending on how you look at it) but we’ve got all of our Glacier National Park planning guides up on the blog. From our top picks for hikes with kids and reviews of challenging hikes, to how to actually visit Glacier and where to stay around the park. It’s all there! CHECK IT OUT!

Cancelling Plans - Not My Jam

Before I share about this, know that I’m actually quite flexible in life, but when it comes to planning and scheduling, I know the value of thinking things through, researching and having a solid approach to things. I don’t need anyone telling me I’m up tight or inflexible, cuz that’s not the case but I’m sharing about what I’ve learned in terms of scheduling life.

I hate cancelling plans, whether they’re with other people or just things we’ve got on the calendar. Well, we have a lot happening in our world and I had to make a hard decision to cancel something I’ve been looking forward to since last year when I had to cancel this same thing. Every year I book glamping in Everglades National Park and every year we have to cancel it. This year I was resolute to not have to miss it, but that’s not the case. Unfortunately the Flamingo Eco-ents aren’t in our future again. And they’re booked up so far out that I’ll just never get to book it and actually carry it through.

The reason I had to cancel this year, despite being on the calendar for a year, is because we have too much happening in November. Between construction at our house finally wrapping up and then being on a project in Hawaii for 17 days, it’s just crazy to try to keep the glamping plan. It makes me sad though, because I plan so well and so far in advance for us to be able to attempt this trip… every year. Last year was cancelled due to a hurricane, and the prior year due to Covid… Maybe 2024.

How far is too far to plan?

I would love to hear from other people how far out they plan. I have stuff on our calendar 10 months out. I know that life happens and things may come up, but I still love being able to project our schedule into the future and be sure that we use our time together well. Here’s where this has been a problem though:

fun / vacation travel gets cancelled due to impending work things (in and out of our control) having to happen instead.
I’ll accept work trips far in advance because I don’t have any immediate availability, and then other work opportunities come up that are better but I already committed to something else.
impromptu events and invites just can’t happen… but then this is literally on everyone else for not actually planning appropriately.

So how far does everyone else plan? Do you just know that you want to do activity X with person/people Y in the next six months and hope it happens? Do you just tromp through life telling loved ones and business folks “Maybe, we’ll see…”? What’s the scoop?!

I would love to hear how people choose to manage both their family and their business opportunity calendars. I fee like I’ve been able to manage this well for the last ten years, but 2023 has proven to be a never-ending pickle.

Managing Stress When You CAN’T Outsource

I love how some people think you can just outsource every aspect of life. I’m sorry, but I can’t pass off all my home and work responsibilities to others. Yes, I can ask for and accept help, but I can’t just delegate somebody else to carry emotional baggage. So, here’s how I manage stress when life gets busy, and I think with the holiday arriving TODAY, this can be helpful for others to hear also.

Accept help when offered - this doesn’t apply to all things, but for sure to tasks that don’t rely on your specific knowledge or informed opinion; I’m actively trying to accept help when it’s offered. And this can also mean accepting an invite to dinner vs cooking (you’ll know when this feel like it’s helpful vs just frivolous dining out)
Say no to things that don’t enrich your life - I don’t mean saying no to a neighborhood BBQ, but saying no to disorganized activities that don’t provide enjoyment or benefit to your or your family. That might sound selfish, but it’s not. You have to guard your time and your joy. And this can be saying no to family functions too…
Make space to be physically active - it’s not tough to wake up a half hour earlier to go for a run, or an hour earlier to go for a long walk. Chris has been working a ton lately and been stressed, so he’s actually gotten himself a desk treadmill so he can be physically active even when he’s needed for more work stuff than normal.
DO sweat the small things - I know this sounds weird, but go with me: giving up caring about the small things accumulates into feeling like you’ve lost control or have checked out. Sweat the small tasks and little time-sucks that make you feel accomplished or make somebody you’re close to happy. Little things like quickly re-organizing the closet by color so it’s nice to look at when you do, or forwarding an email to a work buddy that could be a great opportunity for them. Also, something small and artistic can make you feel great and give you a boost when you are feeling stressed.

These are how I have been keeping myself from going cuckoo as we head into the holidays. The biggest winner for me has been keeping physically active each day, as that really helps with my focus and anxiety.

Why I’m Looking Forward to Hawaii: Goals Met.

I know I talk about our upcoming trip to Hawaii a lot, and I’m going to keep talking about it. It was a lot of work to build up to and I’m so excited. It’s not just going to Hawaii, which is beautiful and fun, but all four of us going together. There are places I’m so excited to share with the kids (I love the Big Island!) and I’m looking forward to seeing new places too.

The other piece of this that makes me feel good when I think about this trip is that it’s a work project. Yes, there’s a family fun element to it and the kids and Chris will have a blast, but I’m excited to work with a travel partner (UnCruise Adventures) that is super unique and is all about experiencing the world differently. This is the type of project I’ve been working towards for a long time.

More aspects of Hawaii that I’m looking forward to include snorkeling with manta rays again, night hiking with the kids in Hawaii Volcanoes NP, and having our THIRD awesome stay at the SCP Hilo hotel (the tropical hippy in me loves it here).

Coming Soon: Exploring Arizona!

December is going to be delightful. It’s perfect weather here in Florida and we’ll finally have access to our backyard, but also I get to explore Arizona with my faithful sidekick, Kelly. We’ll be doing Grand Canyon National Park, Jerome, Phoenix, Tucson, Saguaro National Park and more. It’s going to be fun, beautiful and not the luxe adventures we usually do together. The perfect way to wrap up 2023!

That’s all for this week. I love sharing what’s happening with us. I hope the business side of things is interesting. If you ever want me to really delve into business stuff, please tell me. I get really excited to talk about it.

Happy traveling, and have a great Halloween!