Planning

Notes

Planning is seeing into the future and trying to actualize it in the present. It could be considered as counter productive to action since we are using our time to think and plan instead of actually doing what we should, but planning is often a Multiplier to our productivity. By planning ahead, we can foresee potential risks Pre-Mortem, we gain Clarity on when and how we are going to act, which increases our odds of actually doing so. It can serve as a type of Effort Storing, where we spend mental energy now, in order to free up resources when we start following it through.

There's a saying "plans are worthless but planning is everything", meaning that since reality changes, the plan itself usually becomes irrelevant, especially as time goes by. However, the tools and mentality it promotes in the process is worthwhile.

However, planning is not bias proof. Often we misjudge how long something would take and what will it cost, turning the plan into nothing more than an unrealistic dream.

Additionally, while it has advantages, it can become a form of Procrastination if we use planning as an excuse for delaying our action, a form of Perfectionism, that we want to make sure "it's perfect" before we start, or to plan for every possible scenario. Although, a good plan can help us avoid distractions in advance by thinking how to respond if something tries to derail us, although it's easier to plan for external things than internal ones.

Planning is similar to Goal Setting, to try and bring clarity to the future by choosing our destination, and carving a path there.

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Overview

🔼Topic:: workflows (MOC) ↩️Origin:: 🔗Link::