Should you plan when you’re exhausted?

A little while ago, one of my Make It Happen Club members emailed me letting me know she was feeling utterly depleted (life had been dealing her some pretty crappy hands all year) and wasn’t sure how to go about making a plan without making a “pressure-filled plan”.

She was looking for suggestions on how to adapt the quarterly planning process we do in the Club to suit what she described as “this burnouty situation”.

I was so happy she asked, not only because it allowed me to share some insights that would bring her more peace and ease, but because it shone a light on one of my blind spots. An assumption I’ve been making about how people relate to planning, that’s actually NOT how most people view it.

First, let me tell you what I told her in advance of our quarterly planning session.

Here’s what I said in my email back to her:

“Focus solely on your recovery. 

If there's anything else happening in your life that's non-negotiable and HAS to happen, feel free to include that. 

But if not, it's ok to have just one project, and for that project to be getting yourself well again. 

And if that means you end up with a plan that feels sparse... GREAT! 

Space is your friend. Embrace it! 

If anything I share during the session feels unhelpful for you, given that your priority is YOU, ignore it. 

Perhaps see the session as an opportunity to sit quietly, go inward and reflect, knowing that keeping things spacious will serve you best.”

During and after the session, my wonderful, exhausted client let me know that this advice was a massive help and she’s going to use some of it as a mantra for the next little while.

In a strange coincidence, another of our Make It Happen Club members was telling that her plan didn’t have much on it, and questioning whether that was ok.

My answer was a resounding YES!

One thing she’s discovered during her time in the Club is that putting too many things on her plan makes her feel rubbish. She’s far more motivated and productive when she leaves herself plenty of space.

Reflecting on those messages made me realise I think about planning in a different way to most, and that it would be a good idea to talk about that some more.

So here’s the controversial thought I want to share with you today:

If you’re feeling depleted, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan.

I suspect many people would say that trying to do some planning when you’re exhausted is a bad idea. That it will add pressure and fry your nervous system even more. In extreme cases, that might be true.

And I also think there’s a way for planning to be helpful.

I should say at this point that I’m not an expert in burn-out. If you are unwell and unable to make any decisions at all, please seek out support from someone who IS an expert.

But if you’re feeling depleted AND you have at least SOME capacity to do so, sitting down quietly in a cosy spot with a cuppa to create a plan can be a good thing, when it’s done gently, intentionally, and with a specific purpose in mind:

To help you recover.

What I think most people fail to realise about planning is that it can be all about deciding what NOT to do.

Giving yourself permission to say no.

To acknowledge that you’re not firing on all cylinders, and so some things will have to NOT happen.

And to make that a choice.

When you give yourself a little time to look at the things you feel you SHOULD be doing, and then decide NOT to do most of it – at least not now – you can stop worrying about it.

You can tell the people you need to tell.

Clients and collaborators are usually very understanding if you tell them you’re having a tough time and won’t be able to get things done by the date you’d originally said.

Is staying off social media for a while going to result in the collapse of your business? Will the world end if your email list doesn’t hear from you for a couple of weeks? Is that more important than your wellbeing? Probably not.

So give yourself permission NOT to do those things, instead of fretting about the fact that you’re not doing them.

Either way, if you want to prioritise your health, they’re not getting done. But by sitting down and making that a choice, you don’t need to feel guilty about it.

Remember – planning is NOT about cramming loads of doing in so you can meet your goals as quickly as possible. And it’s not about planning out exactly what you’ll be doing every minute of every day, leaving zero wiggle room for you to be human.

It’s about paying attention to how you’re doing, and choosing where to focus your time and energy so you can move closer to your vision AND take care of yourself along the way.

And if your vision includes being healthy and not working yourself into the ground, it’s ok to have a season where the main focus is taking care of yourself. And if that means you have a plan that feels a little empty or sparse, embrace it!

When you’re exhausted, you need space to recover. And intentionally planning what gets your precious energy and what doesn’t is, in my experience, a great way of giving yourself that space.

I hope this helps you think about planning a little differently so you can lean into it when things feel tough, knowing that, when done gently and thoughtfully, it will relieve the pressure rather than add to it.