Plan for the Probables
I’m a planner by nature. I would much rather plan things out than play things by ear.
BUT, planning has its limits.
You see more than being a planner I’m a doer. I have strong feelings about how things should be done, but—and this may surprise some folks— I think done is better than perfect. So in order to maintain my momentum and get to done I try to plan for the probable pitfalls in any undertaking, stay aware of the possible, and ignore the challenges that are potentials but unlikely or out of my control.
Let me give you an example. As a teacher in the Inland Empire of Southern California, I made a prediction last October that we would not return to regular instructional days in our school district until January 2022 at the earliest. I’ve never wanted to be more wrong about a prediction in my life, but looking at the situation at the time it seemed highly probable. I needed to consider it for my own mental health and well-being as well as to begin to formulate plans on how to continue to live well for my family and students in the midst of these ongoing challenging circumstances. As vaccines have rolled out to teachers in our area and case numbers have dropped its become a possibility we will return to school in some fashion this year. So I’ve begun to think about what my hybrid instructional plan will be in general terms without any real specifics. Yesterday, I saw a doom and gloom article that said we are going to see the worst spike ever in July. While that is a potential, it just doesn’t seem highly likely. So I dismissed it, decide not to worry about it. Besides, I couldn’t do much about it if that was the trajectory anyhow.
For me that’s what:
planning for the probables,
knowing what is possible,
and choosing not to worry about every potential,
looks like.
When we work to form a goal, a plan to live out our purpose and calling with intention, we often fall into two competing camps on this issue of dealing with pitfalls that might come up along the way. Some of us are prone to get stuck in analysis paralysis trying to have a solution for every potential, which means we never get started. Others never make plans for any probables and so we take forever to pivot when we face roadblocks we probably should have seen coming. Its one thing to have no contingencies for a fun day at the beach, its another when we are trying to develop into the best version of ourselves God has called us to be. It’s a fine line to walk for sure and we will never get it perfect. But the more we practice planning for probables while letting go of every potential the more effective we will be in maintaining our focus on our ultimate goals and objectives. The unexpected will happen and it might require us to pivot but if we are prepared for the likely challenges every bump doesn’t have to completely throw us from our path.
How about you? When it comes to your calling our current goal do you have a plan for the probable roadblocks or challenges you might face? Or are you stuck at the starting line of your goal waiting to have a scheme for every potential thing that could go wrong? How can you move closer to achieving your goal by finding balance in your planning today?
