Life After AmeriCorps (Getting Things Done) Part 2

In Jeff Miller's session at our joint AmeriCorps conference, he helped put a positive flip on future planning for careers and interviewing with a sweet new mental model called Appreciate Inquiry.  I am going to steal this great summary from positivechange.org:

Appreciative Inquiry works because it treats people like people, and not like machines. People are social. We create our identities and our knowledge in relation to one another. We are curious. We like to tell stories and listen to stories. We pass on our values, beliefs and wisdom in stories. We like to learn and to use what we learn to be our best. And we delight in doing well in the eyes of those we care about and respect. Appreciative Inquiry enables leaders to create natural human organizations – knowledge rich, strength based, adaptable, learning organizations.

It takes into account a 4D cycle of processing and planning: 

http://tsf-wiki.best.eu.org/w/images/9/96/Ai-4D_cycle.jpg

Think about it this way: A plane flying from Portland to Tokya has to make around 500 adjustments before it reaches it's destination.  

We all have a destination and goals are good end points to focus on.  My problem, as a control freak, is being okay with not setting down a solid plan and being okay with changes in any play I set down.  Adjustments are going to happen and are sometimes desperately needed, while the end is always still ahead.