Why Detailed Planning Only Led Me to Failures!

My mother always told me, “You make big plans, but nothing gets implemented. You should start small.”

I used to feel overwhelmed whenever something new or significant came up. This persisted until I left my 9 to 5 job. Whenever faced with such situations, I had a consistent approach — create a detailed, stellar plan.

During my 9 to 5 job, I faced failure in numerous projects. Even attempting a side hustle alongside my job never took off. I was left with only an ideal plan on paper, which was not implementable.

In reflecting on my life, I’ve realised the reason for my failures and found a solution.

Don’t Expect, Don’t Hope!

When dealing with something new or substantial, our first inclination as humans is to anticipate success. We expect victory until we start the actual work.

This is a major mistake. As novices, we formulate plans based on what sounds ideal in our heads. Imagine not knowing much about a new task — how can you create a plan to achieve it?

In today’s digital world, we watch videos, read blogs, and assume we can create a plan and succeed. This is a misconception.

Plans are individualised and can never be generalised.

Assuming that a plan found online is right for us, we try to follow it, fail, and then conclude that we lack the capability, capacity, or interest. We abandon the endeavour.

Instead of making plans and reading “how-tos” on the internet, just do the thing!

Initial Momentum

Choose one step you understand about the task and start doing it. As you progress, you’ll gain insight into the preceding and following steps, forming an algorithm that suits you.

In this process, you’ll understand your capability, capacity, and interests.

You might lack in any one or all of these, and the good news is that you can build all three with the right plan.

And now is the time to make a plan.

Make The Plan

When you have some idea about the task and understand your capability, capacity, and interests, you can create a plan tailored to you.

The plan you make now will be closer to reality, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation.

But, ensure not to make a rigid plan. Create an agile plan that allows room for changes.

“Success is not defined by what you plan to do, but by what you actually do.”