Page 26 - March 2021 Barbecue News Magazine

bbq plans
Vic Clevenger
Chimney Cartel
victor0568@gmail.com
We’ve all heard the phrase, “The best laid plans of mice and men” and have most likely said it. The origin, by the way, comes from a poem titled, To A Mouse by Robert Burns. Even out of the context of the poem, the way we use it is ex- actly how it was meant. We can plan and plan and plan again, but in the end, something can turn those plans on their ear and cause a major (or minor) change in your inten- tions. Another phrase we all have heard is from an old Yid- dish proverb, “Man makes plans and God laughs.” Again, when plans are made, they can change on a dime.
However, it doesn’t stop us from planning. In fact, I bet most of you reading this have plans for the rest of your day,
perhaps even have every day lined up with plans. But they can change. For instance, Mondays I do certain things which set up the rest of my week. This past Monday was a threat of rain in the evening, so I had to change my entire schedule which has, in a way, put me a bit behind in all I need to get accomplished. Below are four tips to help you with these plans, even when they get upheaved.
Make “To Do” Lists
To do lists are a must. Perhaps you remember, as I do, when there was, in my estimation, an overemphasis on To Do Lists. Begin your day by making your list of what need ac- complished down to the most minute. Then look back over that list and begin to prioritize as to importance. No, wait. Prioritize based on time needed for each task. No, wait. I think you are getting the picture. By the time you did all of this, most of your morning was spent planning out what you were going to do, and nothing was being accomplished. The problem set in when there was a change to the list. Ei- ther a task was more important than you ranked it, a project took longer than you had planned for, or someone added to your list and made it the priority. This can be seen, often when we are cooking and have our schedule set of what needs done and when.
Having said the above, I’m a huge proponent of lists. Time lists so I know when I have turn-ins at a competition or just the event schedule, so I don’t miss anything. However, weekly I make a huge “To Do” list of every major task that needs accomplished. For instance, this article, is on there and will be scratched off once completed. Although there are deadlines or certain time when items need to be com- pleted, there is built into the list freedom of flexibility.
Be Flexible
One of the most frustrating concepts of the lists in those self-help books were their lack of freedom to be flexible. If something popped up unexpectedly, the authors would lament and tell you to evaluate its importance in relation to the other items to be accomplished. Although, there is some merit to this, it’s called “chasing the squirrel.” Like a dog outside doing what dogs do, then next thing you know
Best Laid Plans
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BarbecueNews.com - 26
MARCH 2021