Nutrition by Dawn - Blog

We've been talking a lot about planning this month.

But today, I want to talk about something a little different:

How do you actually learn how to plan?

Because here’s the truth…

Planning isn’t something you’re just born knowing how to do.

It’s a skill.

And like any skill, it has to be learned, step by step.

A Real-Life Example: Teaching Planning in Action

I was just up to visit my son at school.

We went apartment hunting.

Now, I could have just said:

"Go look at apartments, let me know what you think, and we can talk about it.”

And maybe that would work.

But maybe it wouldn’t.

Because here’s the reality:

You don’t know what you don’t know.

What We’re Actually Teaching

It wasn’t just about finding an apartment.

It’s about learning how to:

• Call a landlord and schedule a showing

• Ask the right questions

• Evaluate options

• Make informed decisions

These are “adulting” skills.

But more than that…

They’re planning skills.

How We Really Learn (Hint: It’s Not by Being Thrown In)

There are two approaches to learning:

1. Throw someone in the deep end and hope they figure it out

2. Teach them step by step before they get there

I'm firmly in the second camp.

Because real learning happens through something called scaffolding.

What Is Scaffolding?

Scaffolding means:

👉 Meeting someone where they are
👉 Teaching the next step
👉 Practicing it together
👉 Then moving to the next level

And repeating that process.

My First Job Taught Me This

My very first job out of college was in tech support.

I didn’t know what questions to ask yet.

So I’d:

• Talk to a customer

• Put them on hold

• Run to a colleague

• Ask, “What do I do next?”

Then go back and try it again.

Over time, I didn’t need to ask anymore.

Because I had learned the process.

That’s scaffolding.

This Applies to Everything, Especially Business

You already use this approach… even if you don’t realize it.

If you’re in:

• Nutrition

• Fitness

• Coaching

• Any service-based business

You meet your clients where they are.

You don’t give them everything at once.

You guide them step by step.

But Here’s Where People Get Stuck

We don’t always give ourselves that same grace.

Instead, we try to operate like the version of our business we want to be…

Instead of the version we are right now.

For example:

A $100K business requires different systems than a $1M business.

Different decisions.
Different structure.
Different priorities.

And if you try to skip steps…

You create frustration instead of growth.

The Shift That Changes Everything

Instead of asking:

“How do I act like the business I want to become?”

Ask:

“What is the next step from where I am right now?”

That’s where real growth happens.

You’re Allowed to Learn As You Go

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

You just need:

• The next step

• The willingness to practice

• The patience to grow

That’s how skills are built.

That’s how businesses grow.

That’s how planning becomes second nature.