Plans are wonderful things. They help us organize our lives and provide a sense of control, right up until they go wrong. Then panic sets in unless you’re Harry Potter and Company. As Harry once said to Hermione, “When have any of our plans actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose.”
Hey, that’s life. Sometimes plans work and sometimes they fall to pieces and that’s okay if we keep a few things in mind.
Planning for Disaster and/or Voldemort
- Back-up Plan – Have a back-up plan, but don’t tie yourself up in knots trying to plan for every contingency. Remember, you’ll most likely need a little Hermione improvisation somewhere along the line.
- Stay Loose – As Harry said, things go wrong so suck it up and move on. Don’t dwell on what went wrong, you will only lose valuable time and expend a lot of needless energy on worry.
- Breathe – Just stop everything. Take a moment to survey the new situation, choose a next step, and keep moving forward (or backward if retreat is necessary to regroup).
- Remember – If your plans go awry, you are in good company.
- If All Else Fails – Keep a sword of Gryffindor or a Resurrection Stone nearby, because you can never really know what’s around the next corner
What if my plans never work?
This is a a problem, because some plans should work out relatively well. If you find that most of your plans seem to go sideways then it’s time to step back and ask “why?”
- Are you overly optimistic in your assumptions?
- Are you overly pessimistic in your assumptions?
- Are you trying too hard to predict every little contingency and thus backing yourself into corners?
If you answer “yes” to one of these questions, then try to adapt accordingly. If you aren’t sure, then talk to a trusted confidant. They might offer some insight and suggestions to help you make better plans in the future.
You Never Know – Maybe your plans will go better than expected despite a lot of worry and hand-wringing. If so, tell us about it in the comments section or let me know your favorite Harry Pottery plan that went all to hell. 🙂
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