Without a plan, your business is like a tumbleweed blowing in the wind. You are uncertain about its final destination, and the path it takes to reach there is determined by external factors. Unfocused effort consistently leads to frustration, miscommunication, wasted resources, poor financial decision-making, unnecessary stress, and suboptimal results.
What steps are you taking to be proactive about your future? Planning is not a luxury but a requirement if you want to be successful. Otherwise, you are subjecting yourself to the whims of chance, and trust me, the odds aren’t in your favor.
I’m fond of the Yiddish saying, “Man plans, God laughs…” As much as we can hope to create certainty in our lives, there are always things that pop up unexpectedly and challenge our conventional wisdom and plans. Recessions come and go, but was anyone really prepared for the depth of our current recession when it started?
The most successful people I know don’t create long lists of goals they want to accomplish. As the saying goes, “If everything is important, then nothing really is.” Instead, they focus on a handful of objectives that will clearly advance the end results they are trying to achieve in their work and personal lives.
Sure, some individuals win the lottery or get disproportionately lucky, but success is usually the result of disciplined daily actions with a clear purpose. You need to know where you are going and stay focused on this objective.
Always think in terms of scenarios/contingencies; things rarely turn out exactly as planned.
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