Nuke Plan “B”
You don’t need more options. Options distract focus, drain energy, and paralyze progress.
Life is richer when failure matters.
Vibrancy results from courageously choosing a path and closing the door on the rest.
Folklore says Hernán Cortés burned his ships when he arrived in Mexico. There was no turning back. Alexander the Great burned his ships when he arrived in Persia. It was kill or be killed.
The fear of failure makes success necessary.
It doesn’t sound noble, but the fear of failure drives people toward goals that seem unreachable.
Leaders who create escape hatches use them.
7 reasons to nuke plan “B”:
- Instability. Second guessers don’t inspire passion in others or themselves. Choose a noble purpose and pursue it. Clear direction ignites passion.
- Disappointment. The path taken is gritty. The path untaken seems golden. The path you didn’t take is easier than the one you took.
- Diversion. Two plans divide attention. Divided attention results in diluted energy.
- Confusion. Plan “B” begs you to keep asking, “Is this the right way?” The path you didn’t take seems glamourous.
- If only. It’s easy to turn back when the way is hard. Everything worth doing is hard. Plan “B” makes turning back an option.
- Paralyzation. Too many options stop you in your tracks. “When you find yourself at a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi Bera
- Dilution. Options dilute commitment, energy, and joy.
Bonus: “No” enables “yes.” A great path forward is the result of eliminating good options.
Tip:
The search for certainty is a catastrophic waste of time. Find enough confidence for the next step and take it. Evaluate your progress and take the next step.
If you want to go far start walking now.
When is nuking plan “B” most applicable?
When is keeping your options open important?
**I heard the expression “Nuke plan “B” somewhere, but can’t remember who to credit with the phrase.
I like this : ‘Life is richer when failure matters.’
Thanks praisgeorge!
I think there may be an eighth reason to eliminate plan B….recognizing human behavior and the self sabotage performed by many….fear of success may be as prevalent as fear of failure.
I love this list, Dan.
Makes sense to me Dan! I also like the line: Life is richer when failure matters.
Diana
Thanks Diana. Have a great week.
bellissimo ..:)
Thanks Bianca.
Excellent insight to start the week! Must reblog!
Thanks Walter. Have a great week.
You too!
Your comment about ‘the search for certainty’ got my attention. Would that apply to concerns about job security?
Thanks Bruce. The idea of certainty is a myth. There is no certainty only adapt as you go.
Having said that, some situations have more certainty than others. Go with your highest point of certainty and trust your ability to adapt.
If the job seems insecure and a more secure option is available., perhaps it’s time to take it.
Best wishes
Humm. I’m a fan of Plan B! Here’s why..
Thinking through Plan B enriches my Plan A, I need to force myself to see alternatives or I have a tendency to fall in love with my first plan/ideas.
I’m not willing to take casualties — that may make me a poor warrior but I’m a businessman, not a warrior! When Plan A kills the team I need to ask if the price is too high and consider B.
Thanks Ken. I’m glad you chimed in to defend Plan B.
Developing and considering options is best suited for the beginning of projects. But, there comes a time, when options should be set aside and a clear course of action chosen.
Also, contingency plans for volatile situations, However, contingency plans shouldn’t be reason to abandon our course.
Thanks again for chiming in.
This piece encourages an “undevided focus” I love it. However, I still give credence to the power of PLAN B, but only when it’s assumingly necessary.
Thanks Akorede. Contingency plans matter, especially in turbulent situations. Just don’t view them as a back door to escape pursuing the noble goal.
If it’s kill or be killed, sometimes you get killed. Before you nuke plan B, decide if this is the hill you want to die on.
Thanks Mitch. Love it!
Yeah, it’s worth keeping in mind that Cortes is famous because he won. One step wrong and he just becomes one more nameless loser eviscerated by Aztec priests. How about a column dicussing when your only plan failed, you’re economically/business “dead” and what do you do then?
Let’s remember this route can have catastrophic consequences. My advice: evaluate the consequences first (as much as you can) so you know what you’re in for IF you fail. Then commit to take massive action. Likewise, if you hate your job I wouldn’t advise quitting today to follow that dream of being a musician without some level of planning in advance. The amount of people throughout history that risked everything and failed miserably dwarf those that succeeded, but we are seduced by the heroism of the success story. Small persistent steps forward usually bring the best rewards.
Thanks Stuartart. I’m glad you chimed in with sound warnings.
This is an important post. As I left my corporate job to run my own company, so many people said, “well if it doesn’t work out you can always go back into another executive role.” The truth is I don’t really see my heart letting that be an option. Plan A must work because that’s how I want to contribute to the world. Of course there will be failures along the way, but that’s all part of the path. For me, there’s no turning back.
Thanks Karin. Great illustration of how nuking plan B is part of the fire you feel.
I’m excited for how much success you are enjoying. Go for it!
Nowhere is “nuke Plan B” more applicable than in regard to marriage. Eliminating all other options–commitment to my spouse–has encouraged me to work on our relationship with a goal toward success, to make it a priority, and to embrace marriage as an ever-changing adventure! Thanks for this wisdom, Dan.
Thanks Dawn. BINGO!
There is an age-old adage that goes something like this: Life is “understood” backwards, but “lived” forwards. In this vein, I don’t subscribe to fear as a motivator, i.e., having a plan B just in case plan A fails. Heck, I believe a lot of time, effort and resource has been invested in
plan A and an equal amount of “confidence” must go along with its launch and execution.
At the same time, what does not get talked about much is the art and science of the various uses, purposes, and benefits of evaluation: Evaluation design, evaluation methods, evaluation practice… of leadership plans and strategies…are very insightful and rather simple. A leader/manager can employ evaluation techniques at any stage of a plan launch, and either make refinements as needed, or make gross changes to any part or many parts of “Plan A”
without having to go back to the drawing board–without a need for a “morning after pill.”
I have to agree with the tip you gave…”The search for certainty is a catastrophic waste of time.” You may never find certainty. Sometime you just have to take the first step, and then keep on going.