Why I plan

Like a lot of planners I know, I never intended to be a planner, it sort of just happened. After graduating and coasting nicely as a personal trainer, I had a vague idea that I wanted to work in an advertising agency. I started out as a suit, failed at that and realised I was better at thinking than doing. But even though I has worked in places with planners, I didn't really know what they did, it sort of crept up on me what they were for, and maybe I should be one.

So the first reason I'm a planner is that it just happened.

The second is that there isn't another job in an agency I'm any good at.

Because, despite the hours, the stress, the low pay next to other professions, you just don't get the same colour, the same culture and the same people.

Because you never stop learning. If you stop moving forward, you're history. Planning's really about culture and people, that never stops developing and changing, so there's always something to learn, even if you're global, executive, emeritis god of planning for the universe.

Because it's always a little scary at the start of a project, wondering what the hell to do. There's nothing more rewarding than the moment you know you've cracked it.

Because you're never done. You can always make it better, you're always wondering if there isn't a better way. That's at once frustrating and liberating.

Because you're part of a global subculture - blogging's great. Planners are really nice, interesting, generous people, blogging has enabled me to rub shoulders with all sorts of planning people and learn from them, even though we've never met.

Because this is the most exciting time to be a planner. Advertising's a mess - there's are dinosaurs who can only talk in single minded propositions and TV ads, but then there are Young Turks who are trying to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I argue that planners should be at the forefront of sorting this out. It's so liberating to be able to do literally ANYTHING in response to a client brief, but sometimes there's nothing more limiting than limitless choice.

Because I can.

Comments

[Rob Mortimer]

Nice post.
Agreed about limitless choice, thats sometimes the worst thing about blogging; you can try too hard to fill space that maybe doesn't need filling.

[Jam]

Right On. It's social, it's thoughtful, it might just make people's lives better once in a while.

[lauren]

hey NP - happy birthday lovely! [nothing to do with this post, really. well, not directly i guess]

[Zeljko]

Nice post NP, loved the post, exactly the reasons to be in planning.

all the best from dedicated reader from Croatia

[Northern Planner]

Thanks Lauren. I don't look a day older than 25.

[Rob Mortimer]

Birthday? Rats I forgot... hope you had a good day!

[Simon]

Hi nice post and interesting to see why you chose planning. Worked in an agency for a few years and flitted between wanted to be planner or qual reseracher - eventually settling on researcher as I felt more suited to it.
The comments "planners are really nice, interesting, generous people" and "Because you never stop learning...planning's really about culture and people, that never stops developing and changing, so there's always something to learn", made me think would you have gone into the field of Qual research?

[gabriepatru]

This is a very good incentive for junior planners or wannabe planners.

Here, i will spread it via twitter ;)

[gabriepatru]

This is a very good incentive for junior planners or wannabe planners.

Here, i will spread it via twitter ;)

[Pieman]

Because you're worth it?

How come you haven't posted in two week? Catch up on Monday?

[Willem van der Horst]

That's why I got into it and love planning - I'll learn for ever every day and pretty much never be able to know/comprehend everything that is going on.

The main pitfall is when you think you 'got there or it' though...