In the constant struggle of dealing with what the world throws at us, we make plans. Some are more well defined than others. Some turn out to be more successful than other. But all of them have one thing in common- they are never perfect.
You can try accounting for all the factors you possibly can in your calculations. Put in a factor of safety as well. But things will always happen in ways beyond your control. That is just how the laws of the universe are.
Don’t freak out when plans go wrong from either the start or nearer to the end. Reality is always different from what we plan. Reality will always be different. For, if you could actually plan perfectly, won’t it mean you knew what would happen the next moment and the moment after that and the moment after to an infinite amount of time?
I too make plans. Plans which range from doing a online course in a matter of days to plans which range over a decade. Do they work out as expected? No, and it would be very naïve of me to even expect them to to. Plans are just planning for the future and nothing more.
So should you stop planning? Don’t be so foolish to even think in that direction. Plans at best give you a clear cut direction that you believe is right at this moment. And this is crucial. They tell you your next steps. They tell you where you want to go in the future if everything goes according to the ‘plan’ of course. In true essence, they serve as your North Star.
If plans are not meant to be realized as planned, can we do something about it? Sure. Expect your plans to deviate from the plan. I know it is counter intuitive. But by doing so, you know with certainty that things will not exactly work out as planned sooner or later and you wouldn’t be disappointed (at least not too much).
Plan you must but keep it as plan. Follow it until things start deviating and then perhaps make another one. In doing all this, remember to relax and let the chips fall where they will.