WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PLAN

A plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something, it is the blueprint for the generation of a very collaborative and effective environment. One of the founding fathers of the United States of America once asserted that by failing to prepare, you prepare to fail, this is because a plan exists as a strategy that adds direction to anything and helps individuals and/or organisations establish their priorities.

The most important commodity that has been granted to man is time, it follows the path it began to take way before us and our ancestors took walks on this planet called earth and it will neither reverse nor check its course, it glides on quietly with no reminder to man on its swiftness. It is for this reason we believe that an individual that has mastered the art of planning will appreciate how much time they have been given by the almighty God; planning will help us manage time efficiently, in the sense that once you determine which responsibilities are most important, proper time can be allocated with little or no waste.

Planning brings you to the realisation that the present moment is all you have, it is of no doubt that as human beings we cannot offset all the uncertainty that exits in the morrow, but planning helps you add a little certainty to this wide bubble of uncertainty that covers every person’s life. planning, In the words of Eckhart Tolle means that when you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.

If leaders are chosen on the basis of vision and the quality of their plans; then how much more important is it for you as an individual to have a plan. If good plans determine the progress of nations, then we can also conclude that individuals that plan have greater chances to not only succeed but to be exceptional in their respective areas of pursuit.

A person struggling in a certain area of their life may be doing so not because they lack ability, but simply because they lack a plan. A plan is a guide; it is a step by step process aimed at taking you to were you would like to be. A plan gives you a sense of clarity, it helps determine whether you are making progress or not. A plan helps you identify certain blind spots that could be inhibiting or slowing your success. That is why we need to plan.

The world is in need of visionaries; the world is in need of individuals that have a systematic method of getting things done. Having read many autobiographies of the shapers and leaders of the world, we have come to the conclusion that these great men and women were meticulous planners. They never left anything to chance, they planned their way to success.

Steve Job envisioned that the Apple brand would grow into a company that would make a dent in the universe and because of his vision he made planning a priority for himself and the company. Bill Clinton planned to be President long before the world knew his name. His autobiography (My life) is filled with numerous accounts of how he came up with strategies of winning the hearts of the voters. Many people have asserted that he is one of the most prolific politicians of the 20^th Century, but the secret to his success was simply because he was a planner.

Another perfect example of a meticulous planner and executor is Abraham Lincoln, Americas 16^th President. Doris Kearns Goodwin in her book, “Leadership in turbulent times,” writes,

“Lincoln labored daily, researching and deepening his speeches, keeping them fresh. As he crafted each speech, he would withdraw into a cocoon, finding a corner in the state library or a book room or small chamber wherever he was speaking. There he could be alone to focus on planning, research and thought.” These activities were all part of the plan to prepare Abraham Lincoln for leadership.

It is good to have a vision, it is better to plan and it is even a greater to execute on those plans. Success therefore, is a threefold process comprising of visioneering (in the words of Andy Stanley), planning and execution.

Once you fail in a certain area of your life, take time to identify the factors that led to your failure and thereafter, create a new strategy. But if you succeed, don’t be complacent take time to reflect and to plan again for your next level of success. Trevor Moawad in his book, “It takes what it takes,” writes;

“Even after great successes, it’s wise to step back and take an unbiased look at your circumstances. Then you can formulate a new plan that sets the behaviors (choices) necessary to reach the next goal.”