Author name: Sharbani

Are you a gambler or a businessman? Are you a successful careerist or are you moving in blindfolded? We’ll have answers to these questions. In this segment, we will discuss why planning is important. Simply put, planning is a methodology to achieve your goals. It is widely believed—and rightly so—that if you truthfully answer the questions known as the “Five Ws and One H” (What, Where, When, Why, Who, and How), you will be able to solve all problems, personal or professional. For effective planning, you need to provide insights and clear answers to all these questions. Planning is a structured, methodical exercise wherein you create small milestones with deadlines and responsibilities in order to achieve your goals. It is a scientific exercise. Before we move on to planning, let’s gain perspective on goals. Why is goal-setting important? I believe that goal-setting is an expression of our gratitude to the Almighty. The Almighty has provided humans with intellect—other living beings do not possess such intellect. Hence, we have the capability to choose our reactions and even be proactive. Let’s pause for a moment and understand a very vital fact: if I am a student who has started working at the age of 21, 23, or even 29 (if I’m an AIC student), I would likely be working for another 20–30 years minimum. If I am supposed to engage in my career or enterprise for such a long period of my life, I would want that enterprise to thrive and last long. If I have a long-term view but haven’t planned for it, then I’m not doing justice to my being human and having intellect. Hence, having a sense of purpose—a sense of goal—is what makes me human. Goals can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term; they can be professional or personal. But it really pays to have goals; otherwise, it’s an aimless existence. I always quote the example of the most common animal one sees or interacts with—a dog. In India, there are street dogs. What does a street dog do? We don’t know exactly—it wakes up, barks, moves around looking for food, eats food, barks at cars or other beings, then goes back to sleep sparingly. Day one, day five, day fifty—even after ten or twelve years—the routine remains the same. If we don’t have goals or purpose in life, we are essentially leading such an existence. Then what differentiates humans from other living beings? Hence goal-setting is very important—and equally important is planning—because goal-setting by itself does not suffice. A goal without a plan is just a wish. For example: if I set a goal that I want to clear UPSC exams or secure 90% marks or become a 100 crore company owner or become a General Manager or MD—but if I don’t have a plan to achieve that—it remains just a wish. “I want” or “I aim” should then be replaced by “I wish.” It is highly essential and mandatory for goals to be backed up by plans; it’s a necessary condition. Why then is this critical-to-success activity (CTTS)—planning—ignored by almost everyone? Be it enterprises or individuals (students included), this applies universally. I’ve broadly categorized our psychological approach towards planning into three types: the impulsive type, the pessimist type, and the skeptic type. Impulsive Type: These are people of action who think planning is wasteful because they prefer immediate action. They rationalize that planning wastes time—by the time you think things through, opportunities may pass by. Pessimist Type: Pessimists generally believe nothing good will come out of planning; they prefer remaining in their comfort zones and rationalize that external factors are too unpredictable for effective planning. Skeptic Type: Skeptics are fence-sitters who are weak decision-makers; they follow whoever makes louder arguments for or against planning. They often rationalize their past successes without plans as proof that planning isn’t necessary. Why exactly is planning important? Planning gives credibility and structure to your efforts and existence. It fortifies your resolution towards achieving goals and prepares you for contingencies (Plan A, Plan B, Plan C). Contrary to some popular beliefs (like certain film stars suggesting no Plan B), flexibility in planning is crucial due to numerous external factors affecting us. True success means scalability and sustainability—creating new normals rather than inconsistent growth patterns (sinusoidal waves). Planning helps discern between investments and expenses clearly—if something aligns with your planned goals it’s an investment worth persisting with; otherwise it’s merely an expense. Planning ensures effective and efficient utilization of resources—energy spent aligns with your desired direction rather than going haywire without results. Most importantly: Planning involves analyzing past experiences (SWOT analysis), external ecosystems, internal strengths/weaknesses—and setting milestones with deadlines and responsibilities—thus creating accountability within teams/individuals involved. Achieving planned goals motivates employees greatly—leading directly towards loyalty & engagement within enterprises. If there are so many advantages associated with proper planning—why does it fail sometimes? Planning fails primarily due to: Not taking it seriously enough (treated merely as tick-mark exercises). Insincere efforts lacking structured analysis. Rigidity rather than flexibility amidst changing external conditions. Failure in accounting adequately for disruptions occurring frequently nowadays (every few months rather than decades earlier). However—even under disruptions—a half-baked plan remains better than no plan at all! Remember: running businesses involves risk-taking—but managed risks differentiate businessmen from gamblers going blindfolded into ventures without plans! To summarize—I quote Abraham Lincoln—the illustrious 16th President of the United States who himself faced many failures before succeeding: “If you give me six hours to chop down a tree—I will spend four hours sharpening my axe.” This means dedicating about 66% of one’s time towards careful preparation/planning before execution itself begins! If such an illustrious personality vouches strongly for thorough preparation—we should indeed take PLANNING seriously!