The Year I Gave Myself Permission to Have No Plan
I was staring at my bank account, doing the math for probably the hundredth time that week. I had enough savings to either play it safe for two years while I "figured things out," or I could do something that terrified and thrilled me in equal measure.
My entire life had just imploded. Marriage over. Career in question. The five-year plan I'd meticulously crafted? Completely irrelevant.
So I had a choice: Stay stuck in the wreckage forever, or take my chance right now and make a change.
I chose the terrifying option.
Three weeks later, I was standing in Mexico City airport with nothing but a rucksack, a one-way ticket, and absolutely no idea what I was doing.
The Decision That Changed Everything
People thought I was having a breakdown. Maybe I was. But if choosing to spend a year discovering who I was outside of all the roles I'd been playing was a breakdown, then it was the most productive breakdown of my life.
"You're running away," some people said.
"You're being irresponsible," others added.
But here's the thing: I wasn't running away from my problems. I was running toward myself.
For 27 years, I'd followed the script. Good grades, good job, good relationship, good plan. And where had it gotten me? Sitting in the ruins of a life that had never really felt like mine anyway.
So I made a radical decision: I gave myself permission to have no plan.
No itinerary. No timeline. No predetermined outcomes. Just me, my curiosity, and whatever adventures were waiting on the other side of the world.
First Stop: Mexico and the Group That Changed My Perspective
Mexico City was overwhelming in the best possible way. The colors, the sounds, the energy - it was like someone had turned up the volume on life itself.
I was terrified and trying to hide it, clutching my guidebook like a lifeline, when I stumbled into a group of travelers at my hostel. They were planning a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula and, in that casual way that only happens when you're far from home, they asked if I wanted to join.
Old Amy would have said no. Old Amy would have researched for weeks, made spreadsheets, booked everything in advance.
New Amy said yes before her brain could talk her out of it.
What a Group of Strangers Taught Me About Myself
Those first few weeks traveling with that random group of adventurers taught me something I'd never learned in all my years of careful planning: I was far more resilient than I'd ever given myself credit for.
When our bus broke down in the middle of nowhere and we had to hitchhike to the next town, I didn't panic - I laughed.
When we got food poisoning from street tacos (worth it), I didn't call my mom crying - I bought electrolytes and kept going.
When we missed our connection and had to sleep in the airport, I didn't stress about the disrupted schedule - I made friends with other stranded travelers and turned it into an adventure.
I realized I'd been living my entire life like I was made of glass, when I was actually made of something much stronger.
The Permission to Just... Exist
But the most profound part wasn't the adrenaline-pumping adventures. It was the quiet moments in between.
Sitting in a café in San Cristóbal de las Casas, watching the world go by, with absolutely nowhere I had to be.
Waking up in a hammock in Tulum, listening to waves crash, knowing I could stay another day if I wanted to.
Eating breakfast alone in a local market in Oaxaca, practicing my Spanish with vendors who were patient with my terrible pronunciation.
For the first time in my adult life, I existed just for the sake of existing.
No productivity goals. No networking events. No five-year plan to execute.
Just me, figuring out what I actually enjoyed when no one was watching or expecting anything from me.
What I Discovered When I Stopped Planning
As the months went on and I made my way through Central America and into South America, something incredible happened: I started trusting myself in ways I never had before.
Without a plan to follow, I had to listen to my instincts. Did I want to stay in this town longer? Did this opportunity feel right? Did this person seem trustworthy?
I learned that I actually had pretty good judgment when I wasn't second-guessing myself constantly.
I discovered that I was braver than I thought, funnier than I'd allowed myself to be, and more capable of handling uncertainty than I'd ever imagined.
Most importantly, I learned that I didn't need a plan to have a direction.
The Magic of Saying "This Is My Time"
Somewhere between learning to surf in Costa Rica and hiking Machu Picchu, I had a realization that changed everything:
I had spent 27 years living according to other people's timelines, and I'd never once asked myself what MY timeline looked like.
When was I supposed to get married? Society had opinions. When was I supposed to buy a house? My parents had thoughts. When was I supposed to have kids? Everyone had expectations. When was I supposed to have it all figured out? The world had deadlines.
But when was I supposed to have fun? When was I supposed to explore? When was I supposed to figure out who I actually was underneath all those expectations?
That year taught me that sometimes the most responsible thing you can do is give yourself permission to be irresponsible for a while.
The Travelers Who Became My Mirror
What I loved most about that first group in Mexico, and all the travelers I met throughout the year, was how they reflected back a version of myself I'd never seen before.
They saw me as someone who was brave enough to travel solo across continents (instead of someone whose life had fallen apart).
They saw me as someone with interesting stories (instead of someone with a failed marriage).
They saw me as someone living an adventure (instead of someone who didn't know what she was doing).
Sometimes you need strangers to show you who you really are when you're not being who you think you should be.
What Having No Plan Actually Gave Me
By the end of that year, I hadn't just traveled through 15 countries. I had:
Learned to trust my instincts instead of constantly seeking external validation
Discovered I was much more adaptable than I'd ever given myself credit for
Found out what I actually enjoyed when I wasn't performing for anyone
Built confidence in my ability to handle whatever life threw at me
Realized that uncertainty wasn't something to fear - it was something to explore
Understood that having no plan doesn't mean having no direction - sometimes it means being open to better directions than you could have planned
Most importantly, I learned that taking time to figure yourself out isn't selfish - it's essential.
For Anyone Considering Their Own Year Off From Life
If you're reading this and thinking "I could never do something like that," I want you to know: I thought the same thing.
I wasn't some naturally adventurous person. I was someone whose idea of spontaneity was choosing a different route to work.
But sometimes life forces you to choose: stay stuck in what's familiar but no longer serving you, or leap into the unknown and discover what's possible.
You don't need a trust fund. You don't need to be fearless. You don't need to have it all figured out.
You just need to be tired enough of your current situation to try something different.
What if this is your moment?
What if instead of spending another year trying to fix what's broken, you spent it discovering what wants to be built?
What if instead of staying stuck because you don't have a plan, you gave yourself permission to move without one?
What if the most responsible thing you could do right now is give yourself space to breathe, explore, and remember who you are when nobody's watching?
The Best Investment I Ever Made
That year cost me most of my savings. It also gave me everything.
It gave me stories I'll tell for the rest of my life. It gave me confidence I never knew I had. It gave me friendships that span continents. It gave me a deep trust in my ability to figure things out as I go.
Most importantly, it gave me permission to live my life instead of the life everyone else expected me to live.
Today, years later, when I face uncertainty or big decisions, I remember that girl with the rucksack who said yes to strangers and adventures and discovered she was made of much stronger stuff than she'd ever imagined.
Sometimes the best plan is having no plan at all.
Ready to give yourself permission to explore what's possible? Whether it's a year off, a month away, or just a weekend of doing something that scares you, your adventure is waiting. Connect with me on Instagram @amykellycoach_ and tell me: what would you do if you gave yourself permission to have no plan?
Want to start building the confidence to trust yourself with uncertainty? Download my free guide: "5 Secrets to Rebuild Your Confidence After Any Life Reset" and learn how to navigate change with courage instead of fear.
Before you go, don’t forget ..in April 2026 I’ll be in Bali hosting a women’s-only retreat with Terra Xplora. Ten days of soul work, sisterhood, and sunshine in paradise. If your heart’s been whispering “I need this”… this is your sign. 🌺
👉 Book here
