Plans are nothing, planning is everything

We love plans because they help us to trace a direct line from where we are now to where we want to go.

There’s a sense of comfort that comes with believing that step A will lead to steps B then C.

But inevitably, as soon as we set a plan in motion, major parts of it become useless.

That’s because when we take action, we either encounter some friction point we couldn’t have accounted for, or we learn a new piece of information that influences the nature of the plan.

We learn something or encounter an obstacle that interrupts our clear vision of the path forward.

This is where we often get stuck.

When we encounter that friction, we mistake our inability to map out the exact steps with the value of our idea.

In other words, we think that our inability to understand the steps toward our goal means the goal isn’t achievable or that our idea wasn’t a good one.

This is why, as Dwight Eisenhower said, “Plans are nothing, planning is everything.”

If you think about what it takes for something to go from a great idea to a final result, it’s impossible to account for all of the variables that come into play along the way.

It’s impossible to map a path forward without some form of deviation.

So when we make a plan, we have to acknowledge that the plan as we have outlined it will probably change.

We have to get comfortable with the fact that we don’t have all the information we need.

We have to know that just because we can’t see the entire path forward, that doesn’t mean our idea is unattainable. It just means we don’t have enough information yet.

It doesn’t mean we can’t do it. It just means we haven’t learned how to do it yet.

We can’t view our inability to comply with the plan as a failure.

The plan is not the prize.

It’s the act of planning that’s the most valuable part of the process.

Try this:

When you encounter friction, take these three steps:

First, spend more time concentrating on the vision you have for the change you want to see. You gain the strength and clarity you need to process friction by keeping your big vision at the forefront of your mind.

Second, ask: “What’s at the root of the friction?” You become better at the act of planning when you understand the true source of that friction.

Third, ask: “What’s the very next single action I can take that will move me closer to my goal or give me more information?”

Action leads to more information. Use that information so you can unstick yourself and move past the friction with intention.

Go have a great workday.