The Best Laid Plans…

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry” is an adapted translation from a poem by Robert Burns To a Mouse from 1786. In it, he apologizes for turning up the mouse’s home while plowing a field. But the modern application of this phrase could apply to many things in our lives, including our #MemoryMakeover.

As we wind down our #MemoryMakeover this fall, it may be what we had hoped to accomplish or improve in our memory wellness didn’t happen as planned. Maybe we still can’t remember everyone’s name or what we need to get at the store. Maybe all the ages of the extended family’s children or what they’re involved in still seems too much to recall. Or maybe it’s all getting a bit too much to manage or try to remember. But don’t throw in the towel yet, instead let’s celebrate and plan some more.[tweetthis]Why it’s still important to plan, even when our plans go awry #MemoryMakeover #memory #wellness [/tweetthis]

Why should we celebrate and plan when those plans often go awry as the famous phrase describes? Because planning often initiates action. True, planning doesn’t always make things happen exactly as we hope. But it does tend to motivate and get us moving. So, in this month of celebrating our memory makeover success, let’s not forget to plan for celebration and continued action.

First, plan to and then celebrate what you’ve accomplished with your memory this fall. Maybe you cannot remember everyone’s name, but if you’ve made an effort and remembered more than you used to, then celebrate and keep going! If gatherings with extended family make recalling everyone’s information overwhelming, plan to celebrate in smaller groups. Or better yet, bring a pad of paper, talk to those you care about and take some notes. It only takes a moment, but will actually signal to friends and family that you care enough to try to remember important things about their lives.

Plan to follow through and have fun while you celebrate. When we plan ahead, we’re more apt to make an effort to follow through on those plans. Last week, at the end of an unexpectantly busy week, we were supposed to host a party planned months earlier. I almost cancelled, but didn’t. With many plans already made and my husband’s help, we still hosted the party and I’m so glad we did. We met new friends, enjoyed some downtime and accomplished it all because we planned ahead. I know we definitely would not have done it if we left it until the last moment.

Your #MemoryMakeover homework this week is simple: take a few moments to plan. Plan to celebrate, enjoy those celebrations and then continue your path to memory wellness. Yes, our plans may go awry as the saying goes. But at least if we plan, we’re more apt to follow through, enjoy our lives, and make more memorable moments!