The False Hope of Plans

Hello Friends!

It's been a busy few weeks. A lot has happened, with many good things to come - which I'll share more on in next week's edition. However, being that it's been so busy and that there are things I'm working on that will be launching soon, there's been a lot of planning going on. That got me thinking about "plans" and how they are inevitably the great "false hope"!

I believe our 34th President of the United States (Dwight D. Eisenhower) said it best: "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything."

The Problem With Plans

As many of you know, I do workshops and keynotes at organizations. Most of these organizations will book me a few months in advance and sometimes, the topics they want me to speak on need to be custom-tailored. Therefore, I will have to create an entirely new slide deck, research relevant information, storyboard the delivery and include audience engagement exercises. I will then have to practice the presentation to ensure it meets the allotted time and that the delivery is impactful (and interesting).

My approach used to be as follows: Let's say I have 8 weeks before the workshop. I'll create a plan on deliverables and tasks that need to be completed each week with the goal of having the entire presentation ready by the 6th week - leaving me 2 weeks to practice and refine.

The problem? There are many "unknowns" that can show up during those 8 weeks, thereby, taking time away from completing the task(s) at hand. The inevitable result is a consistent recreation of the plan, leading to last minute hustling.

Planning Is Everything

Having learned that plans always change, I've shifted my mindset on this approach. I lean into my planning process, with very limited hard deadlines. In other words, most of my deadlines are adaptable and can be shifted and that my plans are not finite.

The process of planning is extremely necessary, and massively vital to success. Where most people fail is not incorporating "change elements" into their planning process, thereby leaving the planner frustrated and flustered when things don't go according to plan.

Imagine you are planning on taking a 40-day sailing journey. In your planning process, you will account for provisions (food and survival goods), fuel, maintenance, port-stops, safety, emergency equipment, etc. However, after you embark on your journey, you are caught off-guard by the severe storm that hits on Day 9, which you may only discover a few days before that. This "change element" will require you to pivot and change course, ultimately having to recreate your original plan. The good news is that in your planning process, you have anticipated that bad weather may hit, leaving you more prepared to adapt on the fly.

Lean into the old saying: "Take it a day at a time."

Parting Words

Plans leave me with stress and overwhelm. Planning leaves me confidence and a feeling of preparedness. Don't handicap yourself to finite plans, but rather leave yourself open to adaptability. This goes for life as well. 20 years ago, I was on the track to be a hedge-fund trader. That plan changed and I joined my family business, entering the world of entrepreneurship. I never thought I would go back to school, only to get my MBA along the way. As a male, my daydreams used to be having a son, before I had kids. Today, I have 2 daughters (no sons) and cannot imagine life without them - as I am a loud and proud girl dad. Now that it's been 20 years since I've graduated undergrad, I never knew that I would be a professional speaker and educator, helping people develop leadership and communication skills. In the journey of life, plans are pretty much useless, but planning can help you navigate routes you never knew existed. Don't rely on false hope, but rather on preparedness for change.

Have a great beginning of the week!

If you are interested in improving your speaking, communication skills and confidence, schedule a call with me or learn more about communication coaching here.

Thought Of The Week

A weekly thought to meditate, ruminate, and/or ponder on:

“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”

- Dwight D. Eisenhower