Planners vs. Doers

I've been a Planner all my life.  I've always loved making lists, organizing my obligations by priority, and making sure all of those little blank spaces on my calendar were accounted for.  It was like a game to me: how well could I execute my plan of attack for each day?  And I'll admit, I've accomplished a lot using this system.  Then, when I was 21, I realized that I knew exactly what I would be doing for the next 50 years.  I had become so good at planning, there was no room for surprises.  My life had become a series of to do items and long-term goals.  So I decided to break myself of the "planning habit." 

One rainy Spring day, I'd had enough.  I booked a one-way flight to Thailand and said goodbye to my friends and family.  No return flight.  No guidebook.  No hotel reservations... I didn't even know which direction I would go when I landed in Bankok.  I spent 4 solid weeks doing exactly what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it - no planning, no scheduling... there were times I didn't even know which island I would be on from one day to the next.  Sponteneity became my guide.

When I returned to the States, I was a new person.  My new no-planning attitude provided a sense of zen-like peace.  I'd become one of those "hey, I can go with the flow" kind of people.  I'd overcome this need to plan every moment of my life.  Then somehow, about two weeks after returning to my old structured lifestyle, my planning tendencies took over again.  My to do list (what I now refer to as my security blanket) somehow started showing up again, like an old friend.  I fought it for a while.  I thought, "no way, I WON'T become one of those uptight control-freaks.  I want to be spontaneous and fun!"  But I couldn't deny it.  It was second nature to me to look ahead a little.  I felt more in control, more organized, more prepared for my life when I considered the details and came up with a well-thought out plan for dealing with everything.  I've accepted that this is just the way I like to do things.  And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

Something else I've discovered though: there's ALSO room in my life for being a "Doer".  There are times when thinking through everything gets exhausting.  There's definitely something to be said for just going for it.  Not worrying about making mistakes.  Not obsessing over every last detail that in the end, usually doesn't matter anyway.  There's something to be said for allowing life to intervene to take you in a new direction... one that wasn't planned.

What about you?  Are you a "Planner" or a "Doer?"  How has being one or the other (or both!) contributed to your life?