Welcome back to another daily dose of reflection with our Thought of the Day and Question of the Day. Today, we’re talking about the strange balance between planning and laughing at the chaos that inevitably follows. If you’ve ever made a to-do list only to accomplish “take a nap” and “stare at the wall,” you’re in good company.
Let’s explore what Naval Ravikant meant when he reminded us we’re “just monkeys with a plan,” and why the next week might not need to be perfectly mapped out to be meaningful.
Thought of the Day: “Don’t take yourself so seriously. You’re just a monkey with a plan.” – Naval Ravikant
This is one of those quotes that feels like a slap and a hug at the same time. I love it because it zooms all the way out. Like… cosmically out. The deadlines, the arguments, the pressure to “optimize” every waking moment—suddenly they feel a little ridiculous when you remember we’re basically hairless apes flinging ideas instead of bananas.
I make plans. I try to be productive. I have three kids and a job and a website and dreams that stack up faster than my dishwasher. But sometimes, I need to laugh at the absurdity of it all. I once blocked out two hours to write in peace and ended up cleaning up a spilled smoothie with one sock and a baby wipe.
There’s something freeing about remembering that you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep moving forward, one hopeful banana at a time.
(And if you’re into quotes that zoom out like this, you might enjoy the Thought of the Day on choosing the ultimate goal over the immediate one, or this reflection on the loftier the building, the deeper the foundation.)
Question of the Day: What are your plans for the next week?
If I’m being honest—and I try to be here—my plan is just to take it day by day and make it to the next.
That might not sound ambitious, but some weeks, “survive and maybe drink coffee while it’s still warm” is enough of a goal. I’ve learned not to overload my week with grand schemes that ignore the reality of my life. There’s beauty in small wins: a quiet hour, a finished post, a meal eaten without someone asking for ketchup mid-bite.
That said, I do have a few lightly penciled plans. Maybe I’ll finish a project I’ve been chipping away at. Maybe I’ll take the kids to the splash pad if the weather holds. But I’m giving myself permission to underplan, to leave space for what shows up—whether that’s opportunity, mess, or magic.
Need help dreaming up your own week? Check out this past post about What will make you excited to wake up tomorrow? —it asks how we emotionally set up our Mondays and how much control we really have.
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What are your plans for the next week? Something big? Something quiet? Something uncertain?
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Let’s make this next week a little more meaningful—one small, silly step at a time.