“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” cautions St. Euxpéry. Wishes are fun and sparkly. Some things will never be anything more than a wish. Like finding a unicorn or a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. No amount of planning will make those wishes come true. But if you’re aiming for a goal, not a wish, make careful plans- ambitious but achievable.
Two pieces of business management advice that translate well to everyday life: Doing things well is efficient; doing the right things well is effective. Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction. (Hurtling down the westbound interstate when you should be going eastbound only gets you farther from your destination with each passing mile. The faster you go, the behinder you get.)
We bring a lot of trouble on ourselves by saying “yes” too soon and “no” too late. Not everything you think you need to do or to own needs doing or owning. Pick your goals carefully lest you end up doing battle with yourself. Most everything we own is going to bite us, so be darn sure that the satisfaction of ownership exceeds the pain from the eventual and inevitable bite.
Remember Tennyson. I’ve quoted this for years. “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come” Poetic, but insufficient. Hope and wish are cheerful bedfellows but they need to scoot over and make room for a good plan.
Bienvenue 2023!