Resolutions fly around abundantly when it’s time to welcome the new year. We want to achieve a lot and we are all eager to get on with our plans, with our eyes set on the goal (or multiple goals)…monetary or non-monetary. We assume that things will go well and we will achieve what we resolved. Sometimes we get carried away with our lofty goals and forget to account for the little factor that I shall call as the “oh shit factor”. We forget to ask ourselves: what happens if something goes wrong? Do I have an alternate plan that will still lead me towards the goal? or do I just mope about what went wrong, become sad and dejected, and just give up?
Here is where you need your Plan B. It is something that will keep you motivated enough to keep making efforts towards achieving your goals. It’s your escape route when you are trapped in a jam. It’s a good way to avoid last-minute panic if things don’t work out as expected. Here is a flow chart that tries to show the same thing visually:
So, now that you have chalked up your resolutions, do you have your Plan B’s in place? If you haven’t done that yet, this post will hopefully serve as an humble reminder. If you have already thought about some Plan B’s it will be nice to hear about them.
It is absolutely a good thing to have a positive attitude towards achieving your goals, but it always helps to be also very well prepared for the worst.
The image below may make it more clearer for some of you. The goal-post is just a symbolic representation of the end zone.
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My Plan A is to continue working my dead-end minimum wage job until I drop dead. Other than that, I guess I’ll end up destitute.
I happen not to believe in New Years resolutions, but the concept applies to goals in general - Love the visual!
I didn’t think about a Plan B because I’m dead set on accomplishing so much this year. The last few years have gone by in a blur and I definitely didn’t go after what I wanted. But I have a good feeling this year will be much different.
But I think my overall plan b is just to be where I’m at making only small progress instead of huge strides. I’d be just as content with that.
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