It doesn’t Matter if your Plan Fails, do it Anyway

It’s really that simple. Before I get too witty or try to sound intelligent, I want to break this down in lists. Lists are simple and easy to look at. Let’s start with a negative list since people are attracted to negativity (accidental wit, couldn’t help myself). Seriously though, if we get the negative stuff out of the way we can clear a space free of doubt to focus on the good stuff. Now, I’ve heard many STUPID excuses from people - disguised as wise and elaborate reasoning for why they wont start or finish anything. That list of stupid reasons is as follows:

1. It might not work

Duh! Of course your plan can fail. Given most odds, it probably will fail. But that’s not the point, the point is to do it anyway. You’ll never be an expert the first time you try something, there is a process called “learning” that has to happen first. You have to actually learn how to do something before you do it right. If you get lucky the first time, good for you, but I’d rather hire or partner with the guy/gal who may not have succeeded but was exposed to much and learned much. Information isn’t special, experience is. Understanding comes from STANDING UNDER a problem until you overcome it. Lets move on to the next dumb excuse:

2. It’s not my time

Well you decided that, no one else. If your first order as the boss, leader, visionary, executor of your own decisions, ideas, and ambitions, is to shut “it” down before “it” starts, then you’re right. It’s not your time. And it never will be. Because no other human being is to determine when it is your time. It’s simply your time once you believe and decide it is.

3. I don’t want to focus and use my energy until the “right thing” comes along.

No comment. Actually, comment: Stop lying, because loosely translated you said “I don’t want to get off my butt, I just hope a unicorn will fly over my house and poop a success rainbow through my skylight.” You get no reward for this. You get no ice cream and certainly not any sprinkles.

4. God hasn’t spoken to me about it yet.

ou were born with a mind. You were born with hands. You were born with feet. Use them and stop blaming divinity. If you have a strong faith why not show it off with your work?

5. Someone else is already doing this idea.

Really? Well, do you still want to do it? Because there’s always room for improvement. There’s also this thing in business called “competition”. Wouldn’t it be great to study someone/some business with a similar idea and learn from their failures and successes? Couldn’t that help you speed to market? Doesn’t it allow you to focus on improvements if the ground work was already laid by someone else? So do it anyway, or pivot and do something else. Just don’t use it as an excuse.

Now what?

Those are the top 5 excuses i personally hear most often from people who hate planning and execution. Now, before I come off sounding like someone who likes planning and execution, or like someone who is any good at it, let me be clear: I suck at it. Anyone who’s seen my calendar knows how scattered, triple-booked, distracted, and lagging behind I can be at times. Please understand that success is not measured by how “right” you are or how “on point” you are in every area. Success is simple: You had a thought, it became an idea, you tested and challenged it mentally or on paper, you fought to make it a reality by trying over and over again, and you’re actually happy about doing it. You made a plan, you executed. You probably failed, but you tried again. You either do it until it works, or you decide to change your pursuit. It doesn’t matter if you make money, loose money, or if your money stays the same at first, because you have learned something and each iteration will be greater than the last. This is when you begin to realize that you are fully capable of bringing an idea to life, even if it’s short lived, because you’ve tapped into your ability to dream, explore, create, and build without requiring outside permission to do so. Once you unlock that ability in you, you rise to a new plane. This particular plane is filled with people who simply know they can do anything.

Since we’ve identified those dumb excuses in the list above, exposing their unending stupidity, I’m kind of over this now. Do I really need to make a list of reasons WHY you should do your stuff? I’m thinking no, I think every reader should have/discover their own “why”, and if you can’t figure out “why” then ask yourself “why not”. If any of those “why not’s” are remotely close to my list of excuses above, then… well… I don’t want to name call, but you know what I’m thinking. I have things to do now, and I hope you do too :)