If you create a Plan B, you’ll ALWAYS use it.
Since you know it’s in your back pocket, it becomes your go-to idea.
Want a Plan A that succeeds?
Instead of entertaining a Plan B, focus on a dope Plan A at the get go.
Plan A’s that work are flexible and move you to your final, fixed destination.
It’s set to be resilient to unwanted changes in the environment.
My two friends Hannibal swear by them.
I’m talking about, Military Commander and Conqueror, Hannibal Barça (circa 200 B.C.).
He scaled the Alps with his army, something his contemporaries told him he couldn’t do.
Yet he did.
Never switched his plan either. In the end he reached his goal to separate his enemies armies, defeat them, and seize control of a large African empire.
He’s widely considered “the father of strategy.” As a strategist, I dig his example.
Maybe Carthaginian military history isn’t your thing… how about 1970s TV shows? Do you know John “Hannibal” Smith?
Leader of the A Team? No relation to the Carthage Conqueror.
Best known for his smart-ass demeanor, unorthodox ideas, unwavering response to chaos, and resourcefulness with a limited budget.
(Sound like anyone you know?)
Hannibal’s vocabulary lacked “Plan B.”
Never complained about things going awry though.
Instead he made sure to work with a capable team that focused on the fixed goal. They planned accordingly with limited resources and made the seemingly impossible, more than feasible.
Two Hannibal’s.
One lesson:
Strategies never go as planned. Don’t sweat the inevitable challenges.
Once you hit play on a new strategy something will go completely wrong.
It’s not you, or your plan in most cases.
Been this way since 200 B.C., and even in the fictional universes of 1970s action dramas.
Hannibal climbed the Alps alright, but he also had lost thousands of soldiers to do it. Had to specially train elephants to make the journey and carry the equipment too.
Certainly wasn’t part of his plan at the get-go, just a flexible, makeshift arrangement.
Same with the A-Team. When Hannibal and partners are kidnapped by a cult in “Children of Jamestown,” they didn’t focus on crafting a Plan B (worst thing you can do).
No way!
Hannibal leads his team to adapt to the new circumstances and think smart. They make a clever escape, and lure the deluded cult leaders into a trap. In the end, they save all the kidnapped children, not just the one girl they were hired to rescue.
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Or as I always say: “Expect and Accept.”
Expect things will get tough. Accept that as part of the process to have the goal you want.
Then work with the changes. Not against them.
That’s how marketing works too.
You adapt. Listen to the feedback, your audience will let you know right away if something resonates or not.
So Plan B becomes a thing of your past.
Still don’t know how to get started. I understand. We’re all managing different goals in different contexts.
For a more tailored approach, schedule time with me and I’ll help you through it.
That way you can focus on the work you love, knowing you have a Plan A guaranteed to work.
Be well,
Max!