If only life was as simple as our plan: It was a nice breather to come across this picture on FB, found it quite funny and very witty at the same time. I guess perhaps this is one of the best ways to represent a plan and its execution!
Being good at planning
I am of a very firm belief that we are all of a very strong intellect here, extremely talented people, smart and very well educated as well. And something that comes naturally to us is planning, making a list, identifying our odds and finding the best possible way to make it happen.
In other words, we all are very capable of living to the truest definition of making a plan. But something that has stumped us from making a progress is the execution front. But the execution is not the same as planning. There are a lot of unknowns that will change during the paths. (Related: Execution vs planning)
If only life was as simple as our plan
More than 90% of the time, things really don’t work in our favour, making us question what the plan was entirely about? And we also realize that this hiccup was never a part of the plan. Naturally, we end up brooding about it and thinking about why it happened in the first place.
What can be done better – learning from mistakes
Although it is a very good thought to think about what might have gone wrong, it is a much stronger thought to consider what can be made right of it. Something we were never taught in our growing stages was that a plan indicates a perfect situation. It comes with an * sign, in fact, more than one ****** sign! So, the first time something goes wrong, it throws us off track, it makes us wonder if something is definitely wrong with us.
It is not working for us because we are wrong, we don’t have enough capacities – We tend to take that complete blame as feedback on us rather than the situation. Something which wasn’t taught but we need to realize is that a plan, a situation is just a circumstance, it has happened – the real question is what do we do about it, how do we find a way out of it?
Things are bound to go wrong
No matter what we plan, more than 90% of the time, it screws up, something or the other goes wrong. Sometimes it is our fault, sometimes it is of a neighbour, sometimes the economy and sometimes even our most trusted instincts about the same. And it is ok, it is completely natural for it to screw up, for the plan to go completely haywire.
But something to remember in the entire process is that there was something more important than the plan – It was the goal, it was the dream and it was the desire to make that dream come true. (What is your dream) The plan was just a way to reach there. The goal and the dream is the ultimate thing you are headed after.
Looking at the big picture – If only life was as simple as our plan!
It is very easy to be lost in the details, a plan and its outcomes are just feedback, they are just saying that something in the plan is not working, you may need to rework the strategy, maybe delegate it to someone better, maybe find ways to see to it that it can be resolved and if it cannot, try and identify different sub plans or maybe even a different plan.
But something worthwhile to remember all along is the focus on the bigger questions. A plan which doesn’t work never says you are stupid. it just says that something is wrong with the plan and you need to work on it. That’s all, nothing more or nothing less.
Listening to feedback and message from outcomes
Perhaps it is time to identify what it tries to say. I do understand that it hurts the ego and I believe it is right to shatter that ego from time to time so that it chisels you into something larger. Small hits never made someone big, it was the big ones, the big challenges and how they came out of it.
May it be the Einsteins or the Edisons or Gandhi’s and Obama’s they all took the path, they all made a difference, not just in their lives but to millions of others as well. And I am sure they had a plan, much better than ours but they had something bigger – The Vision!
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“if only’…are quite strong words that may actually sway us from where we are. We may go off in a tangent just thinking of all the possibilities that could have been. Keep an eye on the big picture and at the “end’, the “vision”…is pretty much what one can do. I love the point that says, if the plan does not go right, it does not mean we are stupid, it just means we need to alter the plan. well written :)
He he.. As always a delight to hear from you Preethi. I agree, there is one quote which I find quite appropriate at all times – “If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we all would have a merry Xmas” :D ..
True, I think for most of us, things are personal and its not wrong either, but sometimes I think we need to know to dissociate from the happenings and look at it from the outside so that we don’t miss what the actual message is…
Well written, we must always try to execute our plans in a proper way and even if they seem impossible to achieve. And yes there needs to be a planned event of efforts.
Thank you Pravin :). True, I guess the plan gives a structure no matter how elusive the results seem to be. The only way I suppose is going ahead..
Well explained and we must keep trying to execute our plans in a proper way. After all, nothing is simple now days.
Thank you Praveen, welcome to Inspire99. Nice to see your views here :).
I agree, nothing seems to be simple these days!
The diagram illustrates the reality..
If only life was as simple as our plan! http://t.co/RKX5mvr9n7