Day 8 of 31: strategically unstrategic

As someone who has worked in the world of social media in some form or another for the past 8+ years, I must say the word strategic like, 5 billion times a day. It’s a great buzz word, really. Clients love hearing that there’s a planned, well thought-out method behind the process of reaching their target demographic (and rightfully so).

Lately I’ve been thinking about this whole idea of strategy, and how it’s something we all use in our lives more than we may even realize. Think about it – so many important aspects of life are characterized by some sort of careful plan or method.

Want to win the game? Here’s your strategy.
Want to get healthy? Here’s your step-by-step guide.
Want to land the job interview? Here’s exactly what to be prepared for.
Want to get the guy? Wear this, say that, and follow this 54 page manual of how to text him.

That last one was a joke. Everyone knows the manual is only 10 pages.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s obviously a time and a place for being strategic. I’m pretty sure most of our lives would be complete messes without basics plans and methods that help us get through the everyday. But I’ll be the first to admit that I’m totally guilty of being too strategic in certain areas of my life.

For example, I actually want to think less before I speak. I find myself caring so much about what other people think that I hold back what I actually want to say. Granted, that might make things a little awkward for both parties, but I honestly don’t care anymore. I’m sick of Communication 101 conversations with people – I want truth serum.

Speaking of social media, I kind of think it is one of the main causes of everyone being so dang strategic these days. It’s like, everything we say or do ends up out there for all the world to see, so we have to be all sorts of careful with what we’re putting out there. Even with texting, we have this time we didn’t have before to think about what we’re going to say, how we’re going to say it, and how many minutes (or hours, or days) we strategically leave in between messages. Come on, well all do it.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of life being so perfectly mapped out all the time. So I’m going to do a little experiment of trying to be strategically unstrategic. No more plans, methods, or what some may call “games” to try to navigate myself to what I want.

Less thinking. More doing.
Less thinking. More saying.
Less thinking. More feeling.
Less thinking. More living.

And most importantly – more surrendering my plans to God, and taking on HIS strategy.