We are told how important it is to 'live in the moment', to be aware of the full spectrum of sensory phenomena that surround us at any point in time.
Yet humans would not have progressed without being able to plan ahead, to prepare for future moments which have the potential to further illuminate our lives.
Without planning, we lose a key dimension of our existence.
Planning is an essential skill.
"When you're dying of thirst it's too late to think about digging a well.
" - Japanese Proverb Plans don't always work out - many things can change before the event happens.
For migraine sufferers like you, planning involves additional elements of uncertainty.
You know this from experience - how many times have you made plans and then had to cancel them because you weren't 'feeling well' and you knew that you would not be able to enjoy the experience? Then, as you cancel arrangements again and again, you may ask yourself, "Why bother planning at all?" Although living in the moment has some advantages, choosing not to plan ahead in significant parts of your life limits you to your current circumstances or to the choices of other people.
Let's examine how you can learn how to plan again.
Here are some typical things for which we plan:

1. Meeting a deadline at work.
   
2. Attending an event that you have paid for.
   
3. Going to a social function with family or friends.
   

Let's assume that you are doing the right things generally to combat your migraines:

• You avoid your triggers as much as possible
• You are on a regular daily schedule
• You get the right amount of sleep, and
• You are taking the appropriate medication or are receiving other treatment.
  

In order to begin regular planning again, it's important to achieve some successful outcomes, that is, you need to experiment.
The first step is to pin down your knowledge about your migraines - how often do they occur and how severe are they? If you haven't done this already, record your headaches over a one month period or longer to get this data.
Knowledge is power - hopefully you now know that there are a significant number of days when you are well, when your plans potentially can be realized.
You cannot predict exactly when the pain will strike; however, you can exert some influence on this.
In a word, pace is your key to planning around your migraines successfully.
To meet a work deadline, you can't allow everything to be done at the last minute.
Your most advantageous path is to prepare well and to finish most of the work early.
Having a longer time frame for completion allows greater flexibility for migraine days.
While you won't have full control over the progress of the work, you will know that you did your part to the best of your ability.
From my own experience, working in a collaborative way with the other people involved will maximize the chances of bringing the project in on time.
For examples 2 and 3 above, pace has a shorter term meaning but applies nonetheless.
Since your goal for the day is to get to and enjoy the event or function, do your best to limit any stressful activities in the time leading up to the event.
Calmness, rather than panic, will give you the best chance to enjoy the evening.
As you achieve successes in following through on your plans, you will find that you are in the driver's seat of your life once more.
Then you can re-incorporate planning as a vital function in your life.