The Art of Holding Plans Lightly: Surrendering to the Flow of Life
Making space for surrender and magic every day...
Hey there ❤️
As we come to the end of the year and New Year’s planning is upon us in force, I’ve been thinking a lot about the balance between making plans and staying open to life’s (sometimes very) unexpected twists and turns.
On a personal note here for context on all the twists and turns: I got married, we moved to Hong Kong, and I’m pregnant with a baby girl! Full update on my YouTube channel if you’re curious. 😊
And while it’s been a joyful whirlwind, it’s also honestly been a time of upheaval. Between wedding planning, moving halfway across the world, and navigating the rollercoaster of early pregnancy, I’ve often felt completely thrown off course. The pregnancy in particular has been a curveball—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, too. The identity shift of becoming a mum has been so much deeper than I anticipated, and it’s led to a lot of introspection and questions around the purpose and direction of my life. (Maybe more on that in a future issue!)
But honestly, I’m grateful for this rollercoaster, as through it all, I’ve learned a big lesson: overplanning can sometimes stifle the magic of life’s unexpected moments.
I’ve always been a planner. I used to think that mapping out every detail would keep me on track, and I’d feel a sense of security and control and comfort in that. But planning everything out would also sometimes leave me feeling stuck or guilty when life didn’t follow the script. And this year has demonstrated this in huge ways. I had planned to be on top of my YouTube consistency game after the wedding, but life had other (baby-shaped) ideas, and gave me a first trimester full of morning sickness which left me stuck in bed most days–not a chance of filming a thing! We had planned to travel the world continuing the “digital nomad” thing, and I was going to spend a month or two in an ashram in India to do my 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training course; but since finding out I was pregnant, we decided to settle in one spot and put down some roots to support this new chapter.
Earlier this year I read The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer for the first time, and it’s safe to say I absolutely loved it. I was hooked. It’s a true life story about the spiritual harmony and power in “surrendering to the flow of life” and saying yes to embracing each challenge that the Universe presents (would highly recommend reading if you haven’t yet). And on reflection, I realise that allowing all of my prior plans to end up in shreds and tatters, and instead fully surrendering to the current flow of life has led to a profound joy of its own. The most meaningful moments—like spontaneous night-time deep meaningful chats with friends in Hong Kong, creating our cosy home together in a new country (including our couples’ desk setup which I’m completely obsessed with), building a healthy habits routine again, or seeing our tiny baby girl wriggle on ultrasound for the first time—weren’t part of any predetermined plan.
It’s counterintuitive, but letting go of rigid expectations has made space for something better. Spontaneity isn’t the enemy of progress; it’s the space that lets the magic unfold.
✍️ This week’s journalling prompt: What’s one area of your life where you could loosen your grip on the plan and surrender to the flow of life? How might that create space for something unexpected and wonderful?
As I approach the New Year, I’m holding my plans lightly. There’s still a clear vision guiding me (and I’ll go into my current framework for that in next week’s Letter), but I’m leaving lots of breathing room to embrace surprises, growth and big big detours along the way.
Thank you for being here with me on this journey. :) I’d love to hear from you—what’s one way you’re letting spontaneity take the lead in your life? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
Wishing you a wonderful New Year’s celebration, and keep an eye out for the next issue about goal setting and crafting a compelling vision for the year ahead.
With love,
Izzy 🤗 xx