Do you have a goal?
Do you have a plan to achieve it?
You need a plan.
Daydreaming is not a plan.
Dissatisfaction with the way things are
going is not a plan.
Talent is not a plan.
Past experience is not a plan.
Bravado is not a plan.
A whole lot of ideas are not a plan.
Money (or getting tips) is not a plan.
Being street smart is not a plan.
Even a burning desire is not a plan.
A plan is a set of actions which will
get you to your goal.
A plan is a list of steps.
If you don’t have a plan, get a pen and
some paper.
It is time to sit down and write your plan.
If you have no clue how to write your
plan, talk to people who have achieved the goal you want to achieve.
Ask them what steps you should take.
Ask them what obstacles you can expect
to overcome.
Ask them what mines to avoid.
Ask them what big surprises you can
expect.
Without a plan, all you have is a
dream.
Without a plan, all you have is empty promises,
empty promises to yourself, or empty promises to others.
Even after you write your plan, no
doubt it will contain assumptions.
You will assume things will go a
certain way.
What if they don’t?
That’s why you need a Plan B:
“If all goes well, I will stick with A
approach.”
“If that fails, then it’s time for B
approach”
“If that fails too, then it’s time for C
approach.”
“If that fails as well, then it’s time
for D approach”
…and so on…
Stephen Colbert said something about
Elon Musk. Though it’s a tongue in cheek comment, it has truth:
“No one has
any idea what's going to happen. Not even Elon Musk. That's why he's building
those rockets. He wants a 'Plan B' on another world.”
So what’s your Plan A?
What’s your Plan B?
What’s your Plan C?
Plan C?
I can see you cringing.
What faith do I have in my Plan A, if I
already have a Plan C lined up?
Truth is, even if you may not need to think
about a Plan C right at this moment, if Plan A and your Plan B don’t work out
as planned, you will certainly need a Plan C.
That is, if you are keen on achieving
the goals or promises you have made to yourself, and you have made to others.
If you have thought about a Plan B, or
a Plan C, when the time comes for it, you will be open to trying something new.
You will be ready.
You will be nimble.
Are you nimble enough for Plan C?
And are your nimble enough for Plan D?
Are you nimble enough for Plan E – if it
comes to it?
The difference between success and
failure may come down to an ability to be flexible, to be able to go with the
flow, and to be determined to do what it takes.
Are you ready to do whatever it takes?
Life’s challenges are humbling.
If you have achieved wild success in
some spheres with just a Plan A, you are going to be very upset to find it’s
not so simple in all spheres of life.
Yes, there will come a time when a Plan
A, and even a Plan B will not work.
The only solution is to keep trying –
and to try different things – until something works.
Or it doesn’t.
Along the way, you will learn what
works and what doesn’t.
Eventually you may come to the humbling
conclusion you have to settle for an alternate and smaller, but still
worthwhile goal.
You may have to get out of your own way
to accept that reality.
So take your time to think carefully
about your goals.
And after you do pick your goals, think
about your Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D.
And don’t go crazy if Plan A and Plan B
don’t work.
Plan A and Plan B could fail.
If they do, if the experience leaves
you with nothing else, it will leave you with agility, with nimbleness, with humility;
and last but not least, it will leave you with wisdom.
After all, it is largely through
failure, and through suffering, and through humbling experiences, we achieve wisdom and a philosophy of life.
As always, thanks for sharing my Journey to Wisdom, Meaning
and a Better Life. Like you I am trying
to find my way through this complex maze we call life, and I am honored to have
you share my journey. I continue to keep seeking wisdom which is hidden in
plain sight.
Thanks to Ajay for his compliments on my last post, and
thanks to the rest of you for your likes, pins, shares, tweets and votes…..much
appreciated….M ……a Pearl Seeker like you.
Happy Birthday to those with August birthdays. Hope you use your birthday month to birth
something new and wonderful in your life. By stretching yourself, perhaps?
Posts to help you on
your journey…
1 comment:
A very relevant and much-needed post, Minoo...Action backed by concrete plans is what helps us to achieve our goals in life. Action is the logical next step to conception. Daydreaming, dissatisfaction, Talent, Bravado, Past-experience, are only the first step. Action translates dreams into reality!Action based on plans and fall-back plans are what help achieve our goals our goals. Well focussed, Minoo!
Ajay
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