NORTHERN PLANNER

Like a lot of planners I know, I never intended to be a planner, it sort of just happened. After graduating and coasting nicely as a personal trainer, I had a vague idea that I wanted to work in an advertising agency. I started out as a suit, failed at that and realised I was better at thinking than doing. But even though I has worked in places with planners, I didn't really know what they did, it sort of crept up on me what they were for, and maybe I should be one.

So the first reason I'm a planner is that it just happened.

The second is that there isn't another job in an agency I'm any good at.

Because, despite the hours, the stress, the low pay next to other professions, you just don't get the same colour, the same culture and the same people.

Because you never stop learning. If you stop moving forward, you're history. Planning's really about culture and people, that never stops developing and changing, so there's always something to learn, even if you're global, executive, emeritis god of planning for the universe.

Because it's always a little scary at the start of a project, wondering what the hell to do. There's nothing more rewarding than the moment you know you've cracked it.

Because you're never done. You can always make it better, you're always wondering if there isn't a better way. That's at once frustrating and liberating.

Because you're part of a global subculture – blogging's great. Planners are really nice, interesting, generous people, blogging has enabled me to rub shoulders with all sorts of planning people and learn from them, even though we've never met.

Because this is the most exciting time to be a planner. Advertising's a mess – there's are dinosaurs who can only talk in single minded propositions and TV ads, but then there are Young Turks who are trying to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I argue that planners should be at the forefront of sorting this out. It's so liberating to be able to do literally ANYTHING in response to a client brief, but sometimes there's nothing more limiting than limitless choice.

Because I can.