AUTHOR: Alisha TITLE: No Plan, No Problem DATE: 8/20/2005 04:57:00 AM ----- BODY:

Most days for me (and likely, also for you) have a certain order. I know what time I’m roughly waking up. I have a routine that includes brushing my teeth, having a quiet moment with my cat as the sun spreads across the city, and dilly-dallying before heading out the door. Today I had no plan. There was no order. In fact, I avoided even planning not having the plan. I knew today would be a “day off” but I didn’t even allow myself to fill it with plans for the day off. Now that it’s evening and much of the day has come and gone… I can report back that I did the following: - Walked on the beach just before sun-up with the sound of water lapping on the shore and the rustling of grasses in the wind. - Ate a breakfast that included 2 soy sausages, a handful of raisins, an apricot, and a tiny wedge of cheese with crackers. No prep, no mess, no mid-morning lingering hunger. - Sat at the edge of the bay and drew 5 pages of old, scraggely-looking pelicans, not quite capturing the look of a “yawning” bird as it stretches out one arm and lifts one leg, then the other, and not exactly getting the look of the depth of the water or the enormity of their bodies. - Mid-morning nap while trying to read a book, tossed the book immediately upon waking up. Good books shouldn’t inspire sleep. - Quick shower and then back on the beach where the wind could dry my hair, except for the out-of-nowhere rainstorm that popped up, causing me to resign to a wet head. Then, laying on a wet beach with rain drops hitting my lips and eyes and nose as I tried to keep my eyes open to watch the rain cloud pass by. It was just water. It would pass. That’s just the tiniest peek into my non-planned, non-orchestrated, non-regulated day. I encourage YOU to pick a no plan day and to stick with the program of not having a program. Don’t worry. Nothing earth shattering will happen because you took a 'YOU DAY'. I also assure you that, as elementary as the concept sounds, your body wants a day off. Your mind will rejoice. Your head will recharge. Your smile will be hard to peel off the next day.

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