Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail: Are they right?

There are so many varying opinions on the keys to success and leading a meaningful, happy, and fulfilling life. Working hard, having discipline, and sacrificing are just a few examples. However, I believe that one of the integral factors necessary to be successful at anything is to plan. Planning your life is one of the most powerful and effective ways to attain what you want. 

Winston Churchill is credited with saying: “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”

This very simple, but poignant statement is applicable in many areas of life. It applies not only the worlds of government and military affairs but also in the operations of a business and in personal life. Taking the time to establish a plan, exponentially increases your chances of succeeding.

Think about this for a second: you plan your trip before travelling; Prior to your wedding you must have contacted every one in your contact list for Aso-ebi. If you throw a party, you plan the event. You would not dream of doing any of the above without some form of prior planning.

Living a life of success filled with meaning, happiness and fulfillment is no different; When they do not achieve what they desire, most people are disappointed; yet they failed to plan their lives.

Planning your life is equivalent to having a road map that helps you reach your desired destination. Unless you have already been to the place you want to go numerous times and already know how to get there, you will need a good map. It would be foolish to get in your car and drive around aimlessly, hoping to eventually reach your destination.

When you take the time to plan your life, you are taking the steps necessary to not only identify and reach your desired goal, but also to do so in the most efficient manner. Rather than relying on pure chance, a life plan details the exact route to take. It helps you get there in the shortest time possible without running out of ideas.

Benefits of Planning

In today’s chaotic environment, planning more than a few months in advance may seem futile. Some religious individuals may ask “why plan when you don’t know tomorrow“? they fail to understand that it is the very reason why you should plan. Progress, however, is rarely made through random activity or by chance; Even Lekan of Big Brother prepared himself for the opportunity. Planning does provide benefits that facilitate progress even when faced with uncertainty and a constantly changing environment. Some of the benefits include the following:

1. Planning provides a guide for action 

Plans can direct everyone’s actions toward desired outcomes. When actions are coordinated and focused on specific outcomes they are much more effective.

2. Planning improves resource utilization 

Resources are always scarce in life; even the rich has not more than they desire; therefore, you need to make sure the resources you have are used effectively. Planning helps you determine where resources are most needed; it helps you set up a scale of preference.

3. Plans provide motivation and commitment 

People are not motivated when they do not have clear goals and do not know what is expected of them. Planning reduces uncertainty; it also indicates what you are expected to accomplish. People are more likely to work toward a goal they know and understand. Therefore, write down your goals, make them plain. ensure to set goals SMART goals;  goals that are specific, well defined, clear, and unambiguous.

4. Plans set performance standards

Planning defines desired outcomes as well as mileposts to define progress. These provide a standard for assessing when things are progressing and when they need correction.

5. Planning allows flexibility

Through the goal-setting process, you can identify key resources in your life as well as critical factors outside external to you that need to be monitored. Therefore, when changes occur, you will be more likely to detect them and know how to deploy resources to respond.

Planning is a prerequisite for success. I am certain you have heard of the saying;

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” 

– Robert F. Kennedy

This quote holds true for those who plan but fail. Without a plan, how will you determine what caused the failure?

Remember that failure is not absolute; its is a series of mistakes that result in the eventual outcome. Any outcome in life, whether success or failure, is a series of choices and actions that result, then becomes reality.

Only those who plan yet fail can GUIDE

For this and much more Information relating to employability skills, employment opportunities, career advancement and entrepreneurship development; Join our Telegram and WhatsApp groups, and also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.