| Hey John, In the last Freedom Fighter email, I shared how, in my experience of leaving the ministry, I realized I was only trapped by my own fear of the consequences of acting free. Some of the consequences I identified were legitimate, and I had to weigh what I had to lose against what I had to gain. For me, nothing was more valuable than living authentically. If there were friends who couldn’t support that decision, then I decided that they weren’t true friends in the first place. Losing these friends was a painful but worthwhile process. This is the fourth email in the Freedom Fighter series and it’s all about planning. I’ve quit jobs a couple of times before without having a plan – leaving the Church was one of those times. I identified and considered the risks, and took the leap. It worked out (eventually). However, there have also been times when I made plans, and they’ve worked too. The times when I had a plan were way less stressful. But not having a plan was exciting and full of adventure. Because…risk! As I said, planning made the process way less stressful so that’s what I suggest you work on next. Plans, which usually involve multiple steps, are a way of eating the proverbial elephant one bite at a time. Plans can be small steps, like “I’m going to go to counselling with my husband,” or radical like, “I’m going to tell my partner I’m leaving and give myself 6 months before I join a dating App.” It all depends on your unique situation. The best thing about plans? They get you moving in the direction of the life you know you deserve. The life you now know you want! So…what’s your plan? Write out the steps and put them up somewhere so you can look at them every day. David. P.S. Our month of freedom is flying by. Don’t forget to use the code FREEDOM at checkout to get 20% off when you spend $80 or more on prints. | 
