As an ADHD-diagnosed person, I can find planning and organisation pretty tricky. There are always so many interesting things to get distracted by. But I work best with a bit of routine and some boundaries to help rein in my overenthusiastic interests. Sometimes, I need a little help and support to achieve this

As spring approaches, I’m starting to think about getting out more, heading into the garden, connecting with nature in all those small but oh so important ways. Here are some ideas on planning for the season ahead, with the hope that these may help you get the most from the season, and that writing about it in this way will help motivate me to follow my own advice!

Why Planning is Important

You don’t have to have a plan for everything. You can absolutely wing it. I find that launching in, feet first, and enjoying the moment is easier when I have lots of free time and very few responsibilities. When I’m busy, that approach has to go out of the window. If I don’t plan my time and allocate my resources, including my energy, I will run out of said time and energy very quickly indeed.

Planning is proven to help you achieve your goals, whether that’s to pray or leave offerings more often, to walk in nature, to sleep better, or to study your chosen path in more detail. Goals don’t have to be big or overarching. But it does help to make them measurable and achievable. People in corporate and academic settings often refer to the SMART acronym. Is your goal:

• Specific – not so vague that you can’t really define what you want to do.
• Measurable – will you know when you’ve achieved your goal?
• Achievable – while you might want to be a millionaire by summer, the likelihood is that if you set that as a goal, you’re setting yourself up to fail.
• Relevant – does this goal fit into other aspects of your life or support your overall journey in some way?
• Timed – this just means setting a deadline, either hard or soft, for your goal.

In other words, define what you want to do and how you’ll know when you’ve done it. Make sure it’s possible and will benefit you in some way. And consider when you want to achieve your goal by. It could be that you want to check in in three months and see how you’re progressing. That’s absolutely fine – these structures and formats must be adaptable to you as an individual, not so rigid that they put you off making plans at all.

The Joy of Completion

One of the most wonderful things about planning and goal setting is the joy when you get something done. Personally, I can get very bogged down by half-finished plans that have fallen by the wayside. My work-in-progress writing folder, for example, is a digital swamp of shame. But it’s sort of nice to see that most of the unfinished stuff is from more than two years ago, which makes me think I’m gradually improving. I wouldn’t say I’m getting more organised, but I’m definitely being more realistic about the plans I make.

Completing plans can be a spiritually fulfilling process, as well. When you follow through on a commitment to your deities, the universe, or other beings, you take a step along your spiritual path and connect more deeply. If you complete community-oriented goals, you gain the benefits that come from connecting more closely with that community.

Springtime Planning

So, you’re all on board with making a plan. What sort of plans are we talking about for the burgeoning season of spring?

That depends on you, of course. Here are my goals that I’m going to plan for, and indeed already have some plans in place for:

• Playing more music: I’m currently writing a song to the rhythms of the moon. The goal is to have it complete by the next dark moon.
• Revitalising my garden: I have an odd outdoor space that’s both steep and often waterlogged. So, the first dry spells of spring are the ideal time to tidy, plant, and prepare the space for more time spent outdoors.
• Cleaning my altars: I last did a “Big Clean” at Imbolc, so this is a relatively quick win that’s overdue but will have big benefits.
• Bird watching: Is this a plan? I do this every day, so all I’m doing is committing to carrying on something I love. Plans can be this easy!

Don’t start beating yourself up if you struggle to structure your plans or get organised. The advice is supposed to be supportive and adaptable, not rigid and inflexible. Work to your strengths, whether that’s a stack of gorgeous yet under-utilised notebooks or digital reminders on your smart device.

Spring is about new beginnings, the thrumming of new life, and growth. Figure out what goals will help you grow and lean into them. You really are worth the effort.

Mabh Savage is a Yorkshire Witch, Pagan author, and musician with a particular interest in Irish spirituality, and folklore from all across the U.K. and Ireland. She’s also a member of the global Covenant of Hekate and has assisted in some fascinating collaborative projects such as working with members all over the world to create a song for Hekate.
Mabh is the secretary of the Pagan Federation Children and Families Team, a group that aims to make life easier for Pagan families in England and Wales. She’s also the current editor of Aether, the magazine for Pagan families.
She’s been a member of the UK Green Party for many years, and believes firmly that it’s possible to reverse the damage being done to our planet with the right focus and action now.