Thursday, September 27, 2012

0 The idea of planning nothing

I have been hearing these conversations quite often nowadays.
"I have an overall plan for the next 20 years and till retirement. As long as things go according to that I will not try to change my job or worry too much. What matters is that things fit in the context of my plan."

There is also a eleventh-grader who supposedly believes that his life will be head in a particular direction. He has decided to get into the IITs and then do an MBA immediately. His plan is simple. Slog for 6 months for the IT-JEE, manage to get a top slot admission seat, relax for the firt 3 years, and again slog 6 months in the fourth year to appear for CAT. Your MBA seat is guarenteed. Then you get into IIM-A (B, C) enjoy your time, slog again for the internship of 2 months and get into the same organisation with a PPO (Pre-placement offer).. Hah and life is set.. So the funda is he slogs for 1 1/2 years out of 7 years.. a very good ratio to set your life right.

When I was in school, I was totally confused about what course to take up after school - the only parental guidance (order?) was it has to be professional - translates into engineering/medical. I chose engineering because I dint like dissecting animals- so that is the pathway to my decision.
Courtesy: Dilbert

Have I lost because I have not been clear? Sometimes I wonder whether Al & Me should sit together and put a plan for ourselves. But I feel suffocated when I have to tell someone that in another year we are planning to go abroad, stay there for 4 years and come back with a pot of money.

Aren't Plans also Constraints?

For me most them seem to control my days. And I fell that somethings are just beyond your control - when and why they will happen. I like to deal with it as it comes rather than say they will not occur becuase my Boxed plan protects me from them.

What do I plan for?

We plan for some trips.. and defn fix on date when we have to travel on train/plane.. otherwise the dates are quite flexible.. which route we take, where we stop on the way for a break, the road on which we take diversion and end up reching else where - all are impulse decisions. There is a archaic joy associated with these sudden decisions.

The monthly finance quotient: How much goes for investment, savings, spending. Even here the spending components are not too rigid.. There are friends who keep track of even 20 rs spent for water/food everyday. That kind of accounts will leave me crazy

We have planned not to have a child for another year. This is important decision too - unless both are mentally/financially prepared I see no point in having the child.

But when you see this list, you will realise all of these are short-term events - max another 1 -2 years. As of now, I am experiencing life according to its wishes - it is more exciting, unpredictable and not disappointing.
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