201 - Do you follow your instincts or a plan?

I have never had a plan that was better than my own instincts.

I know I'm not alone.

It wasn't until my father was in his 90s that I learned he had always followed a 5-year plan.

I asked him why he had never shared that with any of his 4 children. Can you imagine?

He said he didn't think we would be interested.

Instead, I followed my instincts.

When my counselor and my parents told me that I would never play the French horn professionally, I did it anyway.

Against everyone's advice, I applied to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, along with 400 other applicants.

Being invited to the audition in itself was an honor, and then I was the one accepted.

A few years later, my instincts told me to go to Europe.

I sold everything I owned, which wasn't much, packed up my horn, and moved to Germany.

I stayed there for 25 years, traveled the world, earned a 6 figure salary, and had 6-8 weeks off every summer, paid vacation.

Then my instincts told me it was time to go home and within a few months, an opportunity arose that allowed me to return to the US with a nice severance package.

This time it was my German colleagues who were the nay-sayers.

"Frau Lehman, Zis ist dangerous. You can not do is."

Guess what? I DID ZIS.

What they didn't know is that my instincts told me the time was right.

My only plan was to follow my instincts.

I have learned that I am definitely taking a road less traveled.

I now work harder than I have ever worked and am happy doing it.

Although I don't have a map, I know the destination and my instincts have taken me off the direct path because there is so much to experience along the way.

Do you follow your instincts or a plan?

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