I Had My Entire Life Planned Out...

June 29, 2026•3 min read

One month ago, I was sitting in my home office wrapping up post-event tasks and planning out the summer.

I had mapped out the launch timeline for our upcoming events, book club, and a new program I've been dreaming about for a long time.

Everything felt perfectly planned.

Then, almost as soon as I took a deep breath, it was as if life looked at me and said,"That's a great timeline… but you have no idea what's coming."

Over the next few weeks, everything changed.

I spent a week and a half back home with my grandma before she passed away.

Then, completely unexpectedly, I moved into my dream home—a little farm with chickens. (That's a story for another day.)

None of it was on my timeline.

We spend so much of our lives carefully planning the future, convinced we know exactly how the next few months—or years—will unfold.

But Scripture reminds us that while we make our plans, God directs our steps.

A conversation can change everything.

A door can unexpectedly open.

An opportunity can appear when you least expect it.

The question is:

Are we so attached to our own plans that we miss what God is doing?

Or are we willing to hold our plans with open hands, trusting that His might be even better than the ones we've written for ourselves?

What I think

Our brains crave predictability, which is why we naturally hyper-focus on planning the future.

When I was in college, I had my entire life mapped out.

Graduate with my undergraduate degree.

Go to physical therapy school.

Get married.

Have 2.5 kids (joking).

Live behind a white picket fence.

Happily ever after.

What I wasn't expecting was a God nudge just three months before graduation to start a business—a decision that would ultimately lead to you reading this email today.

Planning is a good thing. I'm all for being proactive instead of reactive. We all need a vision. We all need a North Star to work toward.

As Proverbs 29:18 reminds us,"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

But while we pursue the vision, we also have to leave room for God to interrupt our plans.

Life isn't always linear.

A conversation can change everything.

A door can unexpectedly open.

An opportunity can appear that you never saw coming.

There may be a blessing on the other side of letting go of your need to control exactly how your future unfolds.

So here's the question:

Are you holding your plans with closed fists...

Or open hands, trusting that God's plans might be even better than your own?

The one degree shift

Let go of the control. Loosen your grip. Take an exhale.

Take 5 minutes this week to just breathe and be.

Don't plan. Don't think about your to-do list. Don't overthink about how this next decision will lead to 10 decisions down the road.

Trust. Breathe. Be. Receive.

That's your one degree shift.