How do we unconsciously cheat on our plans?

I am guilty of spending more than enough time on backups. Frankly, if I am onto something, I gotta be completely on it. Almost for every event, I plan for the worst case scenario and ensure that I am ready for when the worst case scenario strikes.

Spending a lot of time getting ready for the worst case scenario (Plan B) is cheating on the primary plan or not showing immense confidence in the primary plan.

CAUTION: Don't proceed further (just yet), just do yourself a favour and read the above paragraph again. Slowly. Let the idea sink in completely.

I am not recommending that we must not care for what happens if our efforts don't lead to the intended results; and that we must be foolishly confident about our primary plan. The point is that we must ensure we spend 99 per cent of the time planning to succeed and only one per cent of the time on the "Plan B". Let's see how this mindset pans out in the physical and emotional state:

If you have made a decision. The whole universe will conspire to make it happen for you.

Now, why would you spend a good chunk of your time thinking about what to do when you fail. Some of us have a Plan B, Plan C, and even a Plan D. Are we telling the universe that we are more planned and prepared for failure? If so, the universe is likely to make that happen for us.

The thought of planning an escape route affects your judgement.
If your efforts are highly focused, you are likely to hit your target. The more generic the effort, the most likely is it going to lead to unexpected results (if not failure). Therefore, planning the "Plan B" might affect your primary judgement. Just the thought of planning plenty of escape routes will cause you to make a less effective plan to succeed because you will be thinking about fitting your primary plan to suit all your outcomes, including the outcomes of Plan B.

The problem with the conventional wisdom is that it is almost always correct.

The Plan B is not supposed to be a grand plan that requires strategic insights and truckloads of expertise/experience. It is only a plan, which is supposed to help us correct our course and bounce back, or simply take us to a safe place after a failed try.

So, Plan B needs a framework, and it is not a unique plan for every event. The framework we most need is the conventional wisdom, which we have it within us, hence, we don't have to break our heads about how to optimally succeed at Plan B. We can deal with it when it happens.

Hope you understand why worrying too much (especially via a detailed plan about what to do when things don't work out) is not worth it. First, we are worrying about something that may or may not happen, and second, our focus shifts from "planning to succeed" to "planning to not get hurt in the process".

Good luck with your PLAN A.

By: Girish Mahadevan