Today’s post is part 4 of a 10 part series, “10 Surrender Strategies”

We’ve all heard it…”those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” I could see how some might see this as cliche. I, on the other hand, find extraordinary truth in this simple statement. Benjamin Franklin was onto something when he delivered this now famous quote.

A plan is a starting point. Once your feet hit the floor, you need to know what you are going to do next. I know this sounds painfully obvious, but I feel that far too often we coast and move through the motions as if our subconscious is calling the shots. This mindset sets us up for a reactive rather than proactive day. You most certainly do not have to be a dominant type-A personality to benefit from strategic planning. I think intuitively we all have a general idea of what we’d like to accomplish for the day. Its the way that we go about it that makes the difference. A plan ensures that awareness and can help with prioritization. Yesterday, we made the case for sweat. Exercise requires proactive planning and can very easily slip through the cracks with a reactionary frame of mind.

Ok, I’ve presented my case for the importance of strategic planning so now let me draw the parallel for surrender. Each and every day we all face adversity or situations that we’d rather avoid. Some of these situations we can anticipate such as a daily conversation with the boss. If you plan ahead you will handle the situation much more effectively. You know that submission to authority is the right thing to do. Even though it is extremely difficult, if you plan a respectful response that centers around surrender before you find yourself in the conversation, I’m confident it will be easier to accomplish. The benefit is character growth by patience, self-control and gratitude. Consistent practice of this strategy might just turn such situations into enjoyable experiences. I know it sounds crazy, BUT….it just might work!