Plans Cannot Depend On The Weather
But they must account for potential storms.
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The weather cannot be our plan, but it must be part of it. While this assertion is stupidly evident, many people and organisations seemingly base their actions on such out-of-reach variables. From the business that expects its prospects to make tremendous efforts to become customers to the political movements that depend on a sudden collective awakening to gain traction to the creative who waits for inspiration to come before sitting to create, we seem unable to escape relying on favourable circumstances.
Alas, if our attempt at succeeding in something requires variables out of our control, we might as well forgo planning altogether and embrace the best aspect of the opposite approach: the freedom and lack of care of giving in to the whims of fate. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with backpacking. Some of my favourite trips have involved not knowing where I would sleep the following night or how long I would stay in one place. Some brave souls live their lives with a similar attitude they effortlessly seem to apply to every decision. If we don’t have a precise idea of what we would like the future to be like, why would we bother spending too long on the highly fickle task of shaping it?
Nevertheless, those with more specific ambitions — however far-fetched or humble — will need a plan. Once again, we might simply aim to live somewhere concrete, attain a certain comfort level, or have children or pets or a home music studio. Regardless of our desires, if we have an idea of what we would like tomorrow to be like, we need a strategy. While planning must seek to give us a chance regardless of the circumstances, no strategist would ever ignore the context in which their tactics must play out, especially if it is likely to change as the plan is implemented. Thus, the weather cannot be the foundation of our plan, but our plan must account for it.
Of course, we cannot plan for every possibility. Yet, unless our plan considers the environment in which it will live, we will be doing little more than praying and counting on divine providence being on our side.
Written while listening to ‘INTROSPECTIO’ by Mario Batkovic.
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