Abstract: This paper is a contribution to understanding the elements that shape strategic planning practice. It uses a practice-based approach to describe and understand strategic planning. In Australia micro-practices have tended to be overlooked in discussions of strategic planning. The focus has been on the macro-level outcomes of the plans and their implementation. In contrast, in this paper, I examine the micro elements of the practice: the rules, shared understandings, and structures. Specifically, I examine the elements of practice related to time and to the need to demonstrate 'difference' and argue that these rules, shared understandings, and structures enabled and constrained certain activities. The paper is based on close scrutiny of the practices of a planning team preparing a strategic spatial plan for Sydney, Australia. It is drawn from interviews with team members and the observation of their daily practice. The author was a participant in the planning practice and the paper is therefore a form of 'insider research'.