By Shazad
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Teachers and business people do it. Parents do it. Even small kids do it. I’m talking about Planning which is a crucial aspect of life. Why? Because it prepares our minds for unexpected events and gives us hope when facing some hardship. Plans are rarely perfect and many of your plans won’t go exactly as you intended. There is still a lot of benefits in the process of planning as we will discuss below.
Preparing for the Unexpected
“An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing.”
Dale Carnegie
Life is unpredictable. We can’t foresee every challenge or opportunity that will come our way. However, planning equips us with the mental readiness to handle unexpected situations and some very well-known or expected ones headed our way. Planning allows us to anticipate some potential obstacles and devise strategies to overcome them. Preparing our response for some unlikely or unexpected scenarios also helps us feel more confident when the situation arises.
Reducing Stress
“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Alan Lakein
Planning can significantly reduce stress about the next steps when a certain outcome occurs. When we have a clear intention about where we want to be, we know exactly what needs to be done and when to get out of the situation we are in. This clarity eliminates a lot of the anxiety that often accompanies decision-making in times of crisis. We don’t have to make up entirely new plans and next steps out of the blue while we are under great pressure to do something.
Adjusting to Current Events
“The planning fallacy is that you make a plan, which is usually a best-case scenario. Then you assume that the outcome will follow your plan, even when you should know better.”
Daniel Kahneman
While planning is essential, it’s equally important to remain adaptable during planning creation and execution. Current events may require changes to our plans after they have been developed. For instance, a global pandemic might require us to shift our business online or adopt remote working to continue operations for the short term. Maybe a cultural shift in the way people spend time and where they choose to live results in a permanent change in work-life. Therefore, our plans need to be flexible enough to accommodate such changes while keeping the ultimate goal in mind. The plan should be focused on the Business or Personal goals to be achieved and not blind obedience to a set of rules or policies.
A Common Trait of Successful People
“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”
Zig Ziglar
If you look at all successful people, you’ll find one common trait - they all plan their days and their lives to a certain degree. Very few are throwing the dice each day regarding what they will do or where they will go. Successful people have a vision about the kind of life they want to live and some idea about the goals they want to achieve. Planning is the tool that can help you realize your personal vision. If you set clear goals, devise a strategy to achieve them, and regularly review your progress, you have a winning plan!
In conclusion, planning is not just about preparing for an uncertain future; it’s about shaping it in some way that makes sense for you! It empowers us to take a certain amount of control of our lives and steer it in the general direction we want to go. One day at a time and one action at a time. Plans are not fixed or written in stone with no flexibility. They need to be living documents or processes that can pivot and adapt as needed to the circumstances. Goals must be the focus of our plan execution. So, let’s embrace all the benefits of planning and pave our own path to success, one step at a time.
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