Training Journal
I’d like to be a person with a plan. I’d like to be known as a person with a plan. On Tuesdays, we go here. On Thursdays we go there. Alas, there are too many choices.
First: Pick a mount.
Rodney
Milton
Lesson Horse
Second: Pick a location.
Stepping Stone Farm
Full Circle Horse Park
Falcon Hill Farm
Home
Third: Pick an activity.
Flat lesson
Jumping lesson
Schooling on our own
Fourth: Add modifiers
Are instructors available or away at horse shows?
Is my driver available or will I be flying solo? This effects where I am willing to go & what horse I am willing to take. Rodney is a joint effort at the moment.
What is the weather?
To be clear, having all of these choices is a good thing. Having all of these choices is is a Very Good Thing. But it causeth me to dither. Each week is different. Each week gets planned at the eleventh hour.
Last weekend was a good example. Sunday was taken. Saturday was in play. Whip Hand Farm had a driving clinic. While not ready to drive in it, we could audit. Stepping Stone Farm had riding clinic. Three rides in one day with Coach Courtney and Equitation Triple Crown Winner Reagan Upton. I told Coach Courtney maybe. We decided not to drive 8 hours in one day to get frustrated watching other people drive. I told Coach Courtney yes. Since we bailed on riding the last time we took Rodney to Full Circle Horse Park [Circling Back], I decided I wanted another shot at walking about the dressage arena, perhaps even trotting. I told Coach Courtney no.
I don’t want to be the airhead client from hell. Nobody wants that. And yet, I dither.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
I would love to know the solution to dithering, but having too many choices certain adds to it for me. But if you know what you need to prioritise it cuts out a lot of that, the ‘nice to do’ should come after the ‘have to do’…good luck and if you ever find the answer please let me know!
Maybe sit down with your coach each month, put all your options out on the table and draw out a rough plan? Can always include a backup plan B for any occasion that you can’t manage to do plan A. If a month seems too lofty to chart out, start with two weeks and work from there. I’m visual. I need a flow chart. So that would be my suggestion.
All of the time – too many dog sports and venues and 3 dogs…competition – which one?, seminar, lesson, run thru, practice, regular life things (some of them even non dog?!)…..I have some priorities, sometimes they change, sometimes I dither but eventually decide, sometimes I pass. I like having all of these choices and they’ve grown exponentially over the years but it doesn’t make it easy.
I seem to be on a short horizon at the moment, heading for whatever is next. OTOH, having all this choice is new (and awesome!!!), so everything may settle out if I give it a while. Why is patience always the answer? Pffffftt.
It may or may not. It’s gotten much more complicated for me over the years. But I hope it doesn’t for you!
🙂