The Plan

*Image from: http://jimlucasmusic.com/the-plan/

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”
― Alan Lakein

Planning.  Preparing for the future.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve all done this or something that resembles this.  And, if you’ve done it then there’s a good chance that there were once or twice that things just didn’t go as planned, whether it’s your dinner plan, your study plan or your life plan.

All hope is not lost. According to Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky (1979), we are not as great at planning as we like to believe. Ever heard of the planning fallacy? That’s when we underestimate the amount of time and effort needed to accomplish a certain task even though we might have similar experience of doing such tasks in the past. So now, we can all not feel that bad when the plan didn’t work.

*image from http://www.fleetfeetstlouis.com/news/was-this-in-the-plan

Yet,  people come up with that funny thing called Plan B. Plan A should have been a dead giveaway that plans are a not the most reliable things in the world. So, to counter that, we shall come up with another plan. Amazing how human logic works. No?

Nonetheless, we’ve been taught to plan and plan ahead. It’s almost frown upon when you don’t have a plan. Most common questions involve: “So, what do you plan to do after you graduate?” If your answer consisted of any variation of something like “ I don’t know, I haven’t got a plan yet,” , then they usually look at you with sad eyes, pitying you for your lack of planning and feeling sorry for future you.

So, what if one doesn’t have a plan? Can’t we all just live in the present for once without trying to be clairvoyant and predict what the future might bring? Can’t we just be contented with now?

In our quest for that perfect job, that perfect life and perhaps that perfect relationship, we are planning, planning to succeed every step of the way, maybe even factoring in a few setbacks to be realistic. However, we often forget that we are living in the present and that’s all we will have. Tomorrow is an illusion that will never come. You’ll never have tomorrow, you only have today. And if today is not worth having then what is?

Some quotes on why sometimes, not having a plan might be better.

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
― Allen Saunders

“To hear never-heard sounds,
To see never-seen colors and shapes,
To try to understand the imperceptible
Power pervading the world;
To fly and find pure ethereal substances
That are not of matter
But of that invisible soul pervading reality.
To hear another soul and to whisper to another soul;
To be a lantern in the darkness
Or an umbrella in a stormy day;
To feel much more than know.
To be the eyes of an eagle, slope of a mountain;
To be a wave understanding the influence of the moon;
To be a tree and read the memory of the leaves;
To be an insignificant pedestrian on the streets
Of crazy cities watching, watching, and watching.
To be a smile on the face of a woman
And shine in her memory
As a moment saved without planning.”
― Dejan Stojanovic

“The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.”
― J.M. Barrie, The Little Minister

“Plans are invitation to disappointment.”
― Derek Landy, Mortal Coil

“Book your life choices in advance the same way you would book flights, car rentals, hotels, and excursions. Figure out early on in your career whether you intend to be financially independent or marry a rich man, join the ranks of the professional elite or be the stay-at- home type, postpone having children or find part-time employment. Then fasten your seat belt and sit tight as you watch your trajectory veer off course.”
― Veronique Vienne, The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter

Life without a plan, or rather less planned, can be scary but it can also mean much more freedom. There is no foolproof step by step guide that will assure you total success. So, instead of planning every step of way, do something unexpected, do something new and hear that music in your soul as it lives with anticipation and vigor. Celebrate spontaneity. And that unplanned moment may be the best one ever. So, loosen up with the plans and go with the flow.  Carpe Diem.

Disclaimer: Author is not responsible for any unplanned outcomes from not planning.