Plan Z and Beyond: A Metaphorical Guide to Navigating Life’s Twists and Turns

I used to read a weekly horoscope, one that I can’t remember the name of now. I remember it was abstract. So abstract that my imagination would run wild trying to decipher it. The bottom of the paragraph always came with a “What You’ll Need” section. I guessed these were tools, so to speak, tools for the weeks journey. They never explained why they chose these ones, or what I was meant to do with them. 

One day, I leaned in. My “What You’ll Need” section consisted of these tools:

Head lamp, compass, ‘Missed Connections’ section, Magic 8 ball, worry stone, jumper cables, a Plan Z. 

So I packed my metaphorical backpack for this metaphorical journey, and found that I held the keys to an imaginative inner world that guided me into new territory, and rejuvenated my courage for another push at this endlessly bizarre journey called Life. 

Let’s break it down. 

Head lamp: Lighting your way through the darkness of new territory, this head lamp is the key to learning how to set boundaries. This is an unmapped area in your life, and unseen obstacles linger in the dark for you to stub your toe on, trip on, bruise your knees and wrists on, and bump rudely up against. Some feel like dead ends, some feel like sink holes. Embrace the journey. There is no way to travel through new territory without hitting setbacks and bumping up against obstacles. Your spidey senses will get better with practice, though you will never fully be able to see in the dark without your head lamp. Keep the batteries fully charged with lots of dancing, singing, silliness, exercise and drawing. 

Compass: Navigation is key, but where are you trying to go? You have cutting edge technology in your hands - the oldest and truest form of transformational migration - but when you get thrown by other peoples’ opinions, the arrow spins out of control. Don’t walk in circles trying to understand their path, stay true to your own and embrace connection with those who fall in beside you. So, where do you want to go? 

‘Missed Connections’ section: This section of your fanny pack is tucked neatly away under a folded flap, with a chunky 90’s zip along the top to clearly separate these talismans from the ‘connected’ group of gemstones you carry with you. The ‘missed connections’ talismans are often nostalgic, superficial and shiny. They don’t carry the depth that your Connections Gemstones radiate, though they are worth honouring as a reminder that everyone is on their own path, and that staying firm in my own lane and allowing another to go on in theirs with your blessing is respect incarnate. Missed connections exist as little bursts of energy to remind us to keep going, keep thriving, keep striving for your goal – that your journey is worth undertaking. They are sent to us right when we feel like giving up. These people give us what energy they can spare, to say “Don’t give up, keep going. Here is a small taste of what you are fighting for, but it is only a tiny morsel because it is all I have to spare. I am not the one to share the rewards of your journey with you - to feast with you at the final table. I share what food I can with you at these crossroads we find ourselves on, before I continue on my journey.” The ‘missed connections’ section of your fanny pack is there to remind you to always keep a little bit of energy in store for those who are depleted. To appreciate shared moments on the road, without expectation that they will continue on the journey with you. To relish in the exceptional quality of these interactions, as fuel for your belly fire, and to smile and rub your full belly as you walk on, so grateful to be filled up by their energy, instead of diminished.

Magic 8 Ball: This is your direct line to universal guidance. Turn to your own magic 8 ball, instead of asking others for advice from theirs. Trust that you are supported on this journey, and that the answers you receive are exactly what you need right now xx

Worry Stone: Worry stone is the pagan, earth bound symbol for a prayer flag. A worry stone has the power to take your fears and translate them into hopes. It has a direct line to the universal consciousness that provides for you. A worry stone can serve as a grounding tool, helping to reframe fears into intentions. When we rub the worry stone and say —'I’m afraid I won’t find belonging'—it can shift our perspective into: 'Belonging matters to me, and I will create space for it in my life.' Instead of getting stuck in fear, a worry stone can remind us to translate our concerns into clarity, guiding us toward what we truly value. Worry’s tell us what we care about, and it is so important to take the extra step to translate our worries into prayers. What is it you are really asking for when you worry? 

Jumper Cables: Emergency kick starts for when you get drained – jumper cables surge a drained battery with fresh energy and “fuck-I-love-my-life” gratitude. Jumper cables come in the form of empowering conversations, a sense of belonging, new music, slick outfits, and play (immersive, creative and sexual). Jumper cables provide you with a direct line back to your authenticity. Batteries get drained when we spend too much energy trying to understand things that are beyond comprehension. It’s not your business to understand everything and everyone. Running your battery dry trying to solve (self-proclaimed) ‘problems’ (that you have no power to solve) distract you from your true path. Let go. 

Plan Z: It may feel like you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel, that you’ve been here before, that you’re running out of options. It may feel like you’re out of patience, that you’re giving up. It is the biggest limitation of the English language that we only have a finite amount of words to describe an infinite amount of possibilities - only 26 characters in our alphabet - only our own ‘known’ experience to describe things that are, in truth, unknown. Every single experience we have is unique, every new day is incrementally different to every other day we have ever lived. Every human is experiencing the world in a completely different way, every day. 

We assign labels to make sense of the world, we assimilate likenesses to connect with each other, and we group things together to create a sense of belonging and control. 

“Plan Z” is not the last option, baby. From Z, we go on to A.1. We go on to B.1, C.1 and so on, and then A.2, and B.2, and so on. Everyone’s life is completely unique to them, and everyone’s perceived moments of success fall at different times along their own unique timeline. It’s so important to understand that some plans succeed for a moment, a year, a decade, or a lifetime, and then things change - by choice and by circumstance, and we all must be emotionally and spiritually prepared to try again. “Trying again” can look as simple as getting out of bed in the morning, everybody experiences everything differently. There is no “right way” to keep going. There is no “right time” to try again. You are the only one living your life, and you are the only one with the power and the right to tell you when to stick with the plan, and when to let go. You are the only one with the power and the right to say when to try again, and how that’s going to look.

So, Plan Z. What does this one look like? What are the outcomes? What would you like to try differently? What lessons have you learned from Plan Y that you want to take on with you, and what failures would you like to acknowledge and let go of? What is the rough timeline of Plan Z, and when do you want to implement it? 

What’s in your metaphorical backpack? Reach out via my Instagram or Facebook, and share a tool that has helped you navigate life’s unexpected turns!