Have a Plan
Yo u ’ v e g o t t o h a v e a p l a n. A p l a n i s a m a p , a g u i d e , a t a rg e t , a
focus, a route, a signpost, a direction, a path, a strategy. It says
that you are going to go somewhere, do something, be some-
where by a certain time. It gives your life structure and shape,
gravitas, and power. If you allow life to turn up any old thing,
you’ll be floating downstream as quick as you like. OK, so not
all plans work out, and not all maps lead to the treasure. But at
least you’re in with a better chance if you have a map and a
shovel than if you just dig at random—or, like most people,
don’t dig at all.
A plan indicates you’ve thought about your life and aren’t just
waiting for something to turn up. Or, again like most people,
you’re not even thinking about it but going through life per-
petually surprised by what happens. Work out what it is you
want to do, plan it, work out the steps to take to achieve your
goal, and get on with it. If you don’t plan your plan, it will
remain a dream.
So what happens if you don’t have a plan? Well, you reinforce,
to yourself, your sense of being “not in control.” Once you
have a plan, everything else falls into place. Once you have a
plan, the logical steps to achieve that plan also become avail-
able, accessible.
A plan isn’t a dream—it’s something you intend to do rather
than something you want to do. And having a plan means
you’ve thought through how you’re going to do it.
Of course, just because you have a plan doesn’t mean that you
have to stick to it, or follow it to the letter come hell or high
water. The plan is always up for review, for improvement, for