There is one you can count on one thing in life; things are seldom going to work out like you had planned. This does not mean you cannot become successful. I did not say that you won’t be able to achieve your goals, but the path you take to most of them won’t be the one you had planned. In fact, Dwight David Eisenhower once said “In preparing for battle, I have found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensible.”
“In preparing for battle, I have found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensible.”
-Dwight David Eisenhower
Eisenhower had learned the hard way that even the most brilliant battle plan was going to go all to hell the moment they encountered the enemy. Why then, would he, or anyone else, take the time to create a battle plan to begin with? Eisenhower knew that unless he took the time to form a battle plan, he would never be forced to think about the almost unlimited number of things that could go wrong, causing him to deviate from his plan.
Because he had engaged in the process of planning (make that thinking) while he was formulating his plan, he had in mind, plan B’s, C’s and D’s. Then, the moment his plan was shattered, he would most likely know what the best alternative would be. Those who engage in nothing but “positive” or “Pollyanna” type thinking, refusing to consider what could go wrong, often find themselves shell shocked, having no idea what to do next, when their well crafted plan has gone awry.
Ultimately, It’s not the Plan that Is Valuable, It’s the Planning that Matters Most
Some people would say that considering what could go wrong is negative and should be avoided at all costs. I would say that someone who refuses to consider, and then develop contingency plans for the things that could go wrong (because they will) is just stupid. Some people have benefitted from the movie, and later, the book The Secret.
Those that Think Only of What They Want to Happen are Frequently Caught Off Guard; They Refuse to Use One Critical Success Factor
Others, however, have become the equivalent of the mindless zombies that were created by the Rev. Jim Jones in Guyana, thinking that all they have to do is think about what you want with enough desire, and everything they desire will somehow materialize in their life. When followers of The Secret complain that they are thinking constantly about what they desire, but it’s still not showing up, they are told that they just aren’t thinking about it with enough emotional intensity, because when they do, it will arrive. If that were the case, then I and every other teenage boy would have had a harem of naked, blonde haired and blue eyed Swiss women to answer our every beck and call. Clearly, that was not the case.
Tom Brown is the author of America’s bestselling wilderness series. In Tom Brown’s Field Guide: Wilderness Survival, Tom suggests that we get into the habit of always asking ourselves questions about what we might encounter in a survival situation. Questions like “What if I lose my lighter and I need to start a fire?” “What if its cold and it’s too windy to get a fire started, and hypothermia is only 30 minutes away?” When you have already thought about questions like these, and have workable answers firmly seated in your head, not only will your confidence level soar, but if the time comes when you do face that situation, there won’t be any decision to make- you’ll just do it.
How much more confidence would you have if you developed the habit of planning/thinking about what you might encounter, and developing a backup plan if that situation occurs? More than you know.
The key with using this approach is to keep your goal fixed out in front of you. When people allow this approach to turn “negative”, it’s only because they allow the thoughts of what could go wrong to shut them down. Instead of immediately coming up with a strategy to effectively deal with these temporary setbacks, they get scared, forget about the goal, and then…well, you know the rest.
Stop plowing blindly into your ventures thinking “everything will be fine!” and refusing to consider the “obstacles” you will encounter. Know that you will experience things you’d rather not, and, that you’ll be able to move through, around, under, or over them, because you already know what you’ll do, if they do in fact occur.
Become a Successful Quitter
I’ve reached the point in my life, that once I’ve decided to do something, it will happen- period. I realize there are many variables I don’t control, like how long it will take, what strategy I’ll use etc. But I have accepted that. Will there be goals that you set, that, somewhere along the way, you determine are no longer meaningful to you, so you abandon them? Of course. That’s what I call being a successful quitter. If you’d like more on that idea I would urge you to read Seth Godin’s The Dip. To continue on a path that no longer has “heart” is foolish, but walking away from something that no longer inspires you is usually the smartest thing you can do. Quitting, however, something that still has “heart” just because you start to doubt yourself is just plain wimpy.
Begin today, as Tom Brown suggests, asking yourself questions about the kinds of things you had always been told to “not think about.” As your confidence grows, you’ll know you’ve embarked on a new way of thinking-one that makes your journey through life much more fulfilling.
© Copyright 2009-Vincent Harris-All Rights Reserved.
Vincent Harris is the Author of The Productivity Epiphany, and the CEO of Harris Research International.
Grab his book at www.TheProductivityEpiphany.com
