Creating a Flow Life Without the Perfect Plan
I wasn’t planning to write this—at least not today.
But I found myself thinking about a time when I was chasing plans with everything in me, and it just… spilled onto the page.
It was one of those soft moments where memory meets reflection.
Where the past gently taps you on the shoulder and says,
“Remember when you thought you had to figure it all out?”
So I wrote.
And here it is—what I’m learning, unlearning, and starting over with—again.
For most of my life, I believed I had to create a plan and execute it exactly.
No veering off course. No missed steps. Just pure execution.
And when life didn’t unfold according to the plan?
The whole thing felt like a failure.
Sporadic ideas used to come to me in the strangest moments.
And in that excitement, I’d start moving fast—bringing them to life with energy and vision.
Some of those ideas made it through.
Most didn’t.
Here’s a short list of things I started (or almost started), both personal and business:
Personal Ideas
- Crocheting a blanket
- Starting a garden
- Completing my MBA
- Working out with Shaun T programs
- Becoming a yoga teacher
Business Ideas
- Virtual Assistant
- Social Media Marketer
- Coach
- Online Business Manager
- ClickUp Consultant
- Creating a magazine (still want to do this)
- Creating a podcast (started—just need to keep going)
- Countless programs and services
Each one took planning, time, effort—and most of all, pressure.
And what I really learned was how much energy it takes to plan something… and not follow through.
I placed so much value on “doing it right” that I never gave myself permission to simply explore.
To try something without needing it to become something.
To follow a thread of interest without a full business plan attached.
That pattern left me discontent and quietly self-critical. I’d ask myself:
Why didn’t I finish that?
Why can’t I commit?
Why do I keep starting over?
But I’m realizing now—none of it was wasted.
I was just learning.
Not what to do next… but what not to do again.
So here’s where I land today:
I’m building a curated space for myself.
A slower space.
Where a plan exists, but more like a gentle reference—not a strict map.
A space that lets me play again.
Enter Wu Wei.
I’ve been learning about different ways of being—living more in flow and less in force.
And Wu Wei is a concept I keep returning to.
In early Daoist thought, Wu Wei is described as “non-forcing” or “effortless action.”
It’s not inaction—it’s aligned action.
It’s moving with the rhythm of life instead of against it.
And I wonder:
What if my next steps don’t need to be planned, but felt?
What if the most powerful thing I can do… is stop overdoing?
This is where I’m starting.
I don’t know how it will look yet, but I already feel calmer.
More curious.
And a little more excited than I’ve felt in a long time.
Maybe the plan is to stop needing a plan.
Maybe the process gets to be the point.
If you’ve ever felt like the only way forward was through perfect planning,
I hope this gave you a little room to breathe.
You’re not behind. You’re just in a new season.
If it resonated, let it land.
You don’t have to do anything with it right now.
Just notice what opens in you when you stop trying to get it all “right.”
Thanks for being here.
—Alicia
Have you ever felt stuck in the need for a ‘perfect plan’? What would happen if you gave yourself permission to explore without one? Let me know in the comments, or sign up for updates as I navigate this journey!
P.S. This series is for the part of you that’s still curious, still trying, still learning. Let’s explore together—no perfect plan required.
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