Planning is an activity rather than a state of where we are mentally. Yes, we may need to project ourselves into the future during the planning process (and we definitely need to do this if we are visualising in order to do so effectively), but we are not dwelling there or letting our minds wander around in this space, we are there for a specfic and focussed process which is necessary as part of the activity of planning. We can be mindful whilst planning.

Yes, you heard me, we can plan mindfully. We can be in the moment whilst planning and I believe we can be mindful and in the moment even if we are projecting our thoughts into the future as part of that activity.

Bear with me…

Being in the moment is not a one-dimensional thing referring to a moment of time, but rather it is about being mindful of what you’re doing, of the current process or task at hand you are engaged in, of the place you are, of the experience you are witnessing – whatever it is and whatever your chosen activity, being mindful is more about shutting out distractions and being fully engaged in the moment and the activity you are performing (whether that activity is standing still or something extremely active) than it is about where you are in time.

There are some other nuances which are to do with mindset, where we place our focus and the things we choose to be active about or passive about.

When I recently looked more into Zen practice (including reading Zen in Archery and The Inner Game of Tennis in preparation for writing this article: Zen, The Inner Child & The Perfect Cup of Tea), I found out how important it is in that practice to focus on the process rather than on the outcome.

i.e. worrying about the outcome or result gets in the way of being the best you can possibly be.

If you focus instead on the process, on the performance itself, then the results, the outcome will take care of itself.

However when I written here about Visualisation: Visualisation: How to Create Your Compelling Future, I have advised that you need to visualise very clearly the outcome you want, project yourself into that future outcome.

Focus on The Process

The point here is that to visualise well, you need to spend some time really seeing, feeling and hearing the outcome you want. Spend some time there and get familiar with exactly what that future state, that future outcome feels like.

I get it that this sounds like completely the opposite thing from being in the moment. It’s not.

In the case of visualisation (and planning), being in the moment actually includes allowing yourself to project into the future and to be in that moment, during the process of visualisation (or planning), but this is precisely because in the case of visualisation and planning that is the process.

When we talk of focusing on the process rather than the outcome, we are talking about engaging in the process (whether that is archery, painting, making tea, planning, visualisation or fixing a car engine – whatever that process is) rather than dwelling on the outcome that that process will hopefully achieve.

Looking at the desired outcome is part of the process of visualisation, therefore you can actually visualise mindfully, focusing on just that moment – including the process of visualising in that moment – meaning removing distractions which are outside that process which you are engaged in in that moment.

Therefore you can actually visualise, or plan mindfully.

Having done visualisation well, you have instructed your sub-conscious (which is incredibly powerful) what the outcome you ultimately want looks and feels like, so that your sub-conscious mind can quietly go about working toward that outcome and your conscious mind can stop thinking about it and instead focus on whatever other processes you need to engage in on a day to day basis including those which move towards that ‘programmed in’ outcome (you can of course return to looking at that outcome should you decide to engage once more in a process of visualisation, the point being that you are not dwelling there when you shouldn’t be but are instead doing so as part of your mindful focus on that particular process which when done, can once more be put aside so you can mindfully focus on a different process).

I hope that all makes sense – shoot me some comments if not 😉