Planning a Novel

I've never been a big fan of planning, especially when it comes to creative pursuits. But, the "you can't knock it until you've tried it," mentality has some weight; so, this year I am (gasp) planning my novel for Nanowrimo.
As you may have guessed, I'm a bit stubborn. While I decided to plan my novel, I put some very rigid guidelines in place to keep my story from being to...well...planned. I had to use some form of planning that gave me direction but left gaping holes to fill when the timing felt right. I stumbled around the forums, bookstores, and search engines for the perfect system. I'm not sure that a prefect planning system exists, but one popular one, The Snowflake Method, caught me by surprise.
This planning idea (it really is an idea more than a system) involves short exercises which build upon each other to flesh out a story synopsis. What I like most about it is the simplicity and creative freedom it provides.
I am into step 5 of the method and, so far, I am really enjoying the way my story is coming together. I am finding little bits of plot so early in the process. Things that usually took me a few chapters to figure out are already making their way into my synopsis. I'm looking forward to seeing if the first draft is as much fun as (this hurts to say) planning is turning out to be.