THOSE WHO CAN

So you have a plan for changing what you do and how you do it. Good for you. I bet it says lots of really exciting things. Lots of plans just dress up vagaries in fancy buzz words to make them sound like real ideas. But yours doesn't because you are serious this time. You're really going to change stuff. You probably even had a big launch of the plan to make sure everyone who should care knows about it and is as excited as you. Maybe you sent them the link to the flipbook version to show how innovative you are. 

But, setting aside whether flipbooks really are hallmarks of innovation (they're not), are you really going to do what's in your plan? Or is the plan the thing? We've all been there - the plan, the goals, the aspiration, the launch. Then a few flashes of initial enthusiasm and tracking against important sounding metrics to show how accountable you are. And then it all just kind of fades away. Followed by a year or two of drift. Then the cycle repeats - a new plan, new goals, new enthusiasm, this time you've got it right. 

I don't mean to sound cynical. Or maybe I do. Planning is good, but not for it's own sake. If it isn't going to become real, if it isn't really going to change anything, then it's just a waste of time, money, energy and credibility. If all you have to show in the end is less of all those things, you've failed. And failing probably wasn't the point of your plan. 

In a perfect world, you plan and you do. But if you don't have space or patience for both, then set aside the planning and start doing. Some people are scared of doing. It's much harder than planning. And not everyone is cut out for doing. But those who can, do. Those who can't, plan.