Choosing the Plot Over the Plan
The winter solstice may have heralded a few extra seconds of sunlight but here in the Pacific Northwest, the “Long Dark” is still in full swing. The thick morning mist hangs low over Douglas firs, the moss thriving in the damp corners the world has forgotten. January isn’t just a call to a fresh start with the turning of the calendar, it’s an invitation for a deep exhale.
I don’t know about you, but I feel like the world started screaming “New Year, New You” before the Halloween decorations were put away. My husband was at a local Kohl’s in early September and Christmas decorations were already out. 🤯 We’re always rushing through the different seasons, barely stopping long enough to enjoy the magic happening around us.
And once we get to the end of the year? We’re being bombarded with the narrative that we have to be thinner, smarter, more productive, and more organized. We’re told to write the ending of our year before we’ve even experienced the beginning of it.
But this year? Let’s do it differently.
Let’s choose the story over the checklist.
The Problem with a Plan
When it comes to my writing life, I’m a plantser. I have a plan of the major plot points but like to discover the rest of the story as I draft. And I’m discovering that while my ideal self prefers to have everything planned down to the second, the reality of life makes that impossible. So planning my months and days like I plan my stories with the major flags planted but everything else flexible and up for discovery helps calm the raging storm in my head most of the time.
There’s a saying that says God laughs when we tell Him our plans and while I don’t think He’s laughing maliciously, there’s definitely an aspect of indulgent chuckling with a pat on the head saying “We’ll see about that” in my head. You see, a plan the way we talk about it in the internet is inflexible. It doesn’t take into account the actual weather, the other humans in our lives, or as women the ever changing needs of our bodies as our hormones change on the regular.
But a plot? A plot thrives in the unknown, the unexpected power outages, the long stretches of time when nothing happens because that’s when true character development reveals itself.
Embrace the Concept of the Side Quest
In most RPG style video games there is a main storyline that progresses you through the game, bringing you rewards and closer to the end of the story. But where the true treasures lie and the way you get the experience needed to fully thrive in the game are the side quests. These are often somewhat random tasks of varying difficulties with rewards that may or may not suit the task. But despite how much they appear to deviate from the main storyline, the experience you gain helps shape who you are as a person.
Let’s say a main chapter quest of your story right now is to create a comfortable home. Regardless of if you own your home, you’re renting, or even still live at home with your parents the circumstances surrounding the quest don’t matter - it’s your questline. So related tasks to that quest would be declutter your belongings, take donations to the thrift shop, and deep clean your space. A related side quest could be to replace the desk that is “good enough” with one that you actually like to use and is functional for your space and needs. So you could go on a hunt at thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, or even at an estate sale. And while you’re doing that you could stop at that coffee shop you’ve been wanting to try for ages and instead of just getting it to go, you sit with your friend/spouse/yourself and just enjoy the moment of trying something new and sitting still even for just a moment.
Let’s look at our “goals” for 2026 as tasks in the main plot line of our lives. For example if your goal is to transform your health so you can dance with your kids at their wedding then your quest breakdown could look like this:
Plot Point: Be Healthy
Main Quest: Exercise 30 Minutes 3x a Week
Side Quest 1: Locate the best smoothies within a 5 minute walk from the gym
Side Quest 2: Find the best pair of pilates socks that don’t slide down but also don’t have grips that dig into the soles of my feet.
Side Quest 3: Go to a museum and not take the elevator to travel between floors.
The random moments in our life aren’t always “distractions” from our life — they are often the moments that breathe life into our goals and reenergize us when things are stagnate. Though, sometimes we don’t realize just how pivotal a moment is until it has passed. And sometimes - our side quests are a part of someone else’s main quest.
These are the pockets of cozy that we’re constantly chasing amid the everyday chaos. Connection, breathing room, simplicity.
This year, don’t worry about being “new.” Just be present for the chapter you’re in. The mist will eventually lift, the larches will turn, and the story will move on. But for now?
Stay cozy out there,
Anna