Planning for the Unplanned

Watching this inspiring true story of Jose Hernandez, the first (and only) immigrant farmland astronaut who made it to the space program after ….11 failed attempts!! Yes.. you heard that right - ELEVEN! This fascinating story led me to reflect on all of those aspirations we have had and promptly gave up on when things didn’t go as planned.?

How many times have we all planned deliberately for something? How many times have we imagine-prepared a response to a scenario in our thoughts? And, finally, how many times has it all worked out exactly as we imagined? - My guess is not on as many as occasions as one would’ve possibly wanted it to! Back in my days in the army, there was an oft repeated phrase - “No plan survives first contact with the enemy”

Over the years, I’ve often experienced first-hand, that situations change faster than they arise! Unexpected surprises spring up when and where one least expects them to. Murphys' Law states, and couldn't have been truer, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." - Is it better then, to be unplanned and go with the flow? Or might it be better to still go through the mental motions of building a notional plan for notional circumstances??

It might be worthwhile to break down Why plans don’t go as planned??

Plans are normally not islands. They aren’t random, isolated thoughts. Mostly, plans are made with an objective in mind and there should be many variables in perfect harmony for the objective to be truly achieved. The primary one being, People. Whether it is getting that dream job or topping the class or building that unicorn business, there’s always that interviewer or that competitor or those employees etc. There is people-dependency. People change or their mindsets change and so should our plans.

The other transient factor that changes and therefore changes the outcome of the most well-thought out plan is - Time. The best of the plans are only as good as their time. It’s unusual to achieve an objective well before (or after) its time has come. When times change, the most favorable situations can become the least favorable. In relation to the earlier dependency, time changes people. As also, people change all the time!

Lastly, what important today, may not be the most important tomorrow, because our priorities change too. Whatever we may have set out to achieve might not remain be the north star for us anymore. Evolution is a way of life and therefore a shiny new star on the horizon may eventually replace whatever we’ve set out to achieve originally. And that is perfectly normal! We are dynamic beings with fluidity of thoughts and means to achieve them, therefore there is far less than even one reason for us to be rigid and tied to a non-serving goalpost.?

The problem is not that plans don’t go as per the pre-determined path; the problem is, that we ‘only’ plan to go on the pre-determined path.

Here's how I deal with the volatility of dealing with the unplanned and the unexpected :

?? As is often said, ‘change is the only constant’, therefore being nimble on your feet, ready to adapt to the changing scenarios, discarding the rigid and planning for the unplanned becomes even more important. Reading the land, as they say.?

?? It is critical to identify your enablers and the nay-sayers, the headwinds as also the tailwinds. Being cognizant of what has changed or can change is potentially the most important reflex. Taking a moment (or a few!) to reflect on the situation while absorbing the new reality and its implications, will help in keeping calm and regaining focus.?

?? When things change, for better or worse, as they most likely will - Acknowledge The Now and The New. It is only when peace is made with the now and the new, can we then decide the next course of action. The Pivot.? ?

?? Last, but not the least - Breathe!! Being calm and thoughtful is and will be your only savior. Realize - Reconnect - Regroup