T

March 28th

COWARDICE AS A DESIGN PROBLEM

“Life without a design is erratic. As soon as one is in place,

principles become necessary. I think you’ll concede that nothing is

more shameful than uncertain and wavering conduct, and beating

a cowardly retreat. This will happen in all our affairs unless we

remove the faults that seize and detain our spirits, preventing them

from pushing forward and making an all-out effort.”

—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 95.46

he opposing team comes out strong, establishes an early lead, and you
never had time to recover. You walk into a business meeting, are
caught off guard, and the whole thing goes poorly. A delicate conversation
escalates into a shouting match. You switched majors halfway through
college and had to start your coursework over and graduate late. Sound
familiar?
It’s the chaos that ensues from not having a plan. Not because plans are
perfect, but because people without plans—like a line of infantrymen
without a strong leader—are much more likely to get overwhelmed and fall
apart. The Super Bowl–winning coach Bill Walsh used to avoid this risk by
scripting the beginning of his games. “If you want to sleep at night before
the game,” he said in a lecture on game planning, “have your first 25 plays
established in your own mind the night before that. You can walk into the
stadium and you can start the game without that stress factor.” You’ll also
be able to ignore a couple of early points or a surprise from your opponent.
It’s irrelevant to you—you already have your marching orders.
Don’t try to make it up on the fly. Have a plan.