I know my style by now. I’ve gotten the timeline for my February retreat chunked out on an Excel spreadsheet. The next step is to convert it into notebook pages so that I’ll have a script to operate by.

Even though the spreadsheet is thorough, covering the agenda, the materials, the room arrangement and meal times, I still need to put it into a form that feels right to me. This is a process I go through before every new program I offer.

I’ve never been one to wing it. Even talks I’ve given that feel unrehearsed and spontaneous belie the days of preparation I needed to appear unrehearsed and spontaneous.

The good news is, I know this about myself. The bad news is, I forget this each time I start something new and think, “Why isn’t this easier?”