Hey Readers. A simple truth. James Bond always had a plan. Ever think about the future and wonder if you're making the right moves? I know I do. It can be stressful thinking about the future plans you have in store for your life or lack thereof. If you haven’t already thought about these things, I definitely encourage you to give it a shot. One thing that I believe can make the process easier is to set up a backup plan. I’m not a guru on life, but I can definitely say that a backup plan is a smart move. Even spies utilize a "plan B" in their bag of tricks. Why you ask? Let’s dive in.
Sage Journals published an article that stated, “ We are positive that backup plans change the way that a person pursues a goal, as well as the likelihood of achieving it, even if the backup plans are never used.” (Napolitano, C. M. & Freund, A. M.) In other words, the more options you have moving forward, the easier it is to strive ahead with little to no stress. To give a few examples, sports teams have their substitute players incase of an accident. Corporations setting up new branches have multiple locations that they peruse for the best possible outcome for their sales. Imagine trying to find an Ideal place to build a business after being told the area you selected changed their building laws? Goodbye sky scraper, and hello one story house. The point I’m pushing is that different options help create a secure plan.
Nelson Mandela once said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” (Depository, B., 2019) How does this tie in? When making plans, they definitely aren’t guaranteed to be a success right out of the gate. Life will always through that curve ball your way. It’s less stressful when you have a fall back plan. Some people try saving up for a car, for instance, while paying bills. While a few would just take out a car loan, others would not only apply for the loan, but check to see if they could possibly get a credit card with a pretty high credit limit to pay the car off. Backup plans are not always crystal clear, but with the right motivation, they can get you where you need to be.
Many business owners start off working two or three odd jobs while getting their business off the ground. The process may be longer than getting a grant for the business, but it still produces the same result in the end. Backup plans are the safety net that give you peace of mind as well as drive. Now, I’m not saying you have to be paranoid at every turn in your life. Backup plans are sometimes loose. Prime example would be taking two pencils to a test instead of one. Being prepared for whatever life throws your way is how you manage to stay ahead of stress. When you start to think with the mindset of having a backup plan, you’ll start to find that there are situations that can be avoided fairly easily.
--E
Stay Breezy!
Citations:
Napolitano, C. M. and Freund, A. M. (2016) ‘On the Use and Usefulness of Backup Plans’, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(1), pp. 56–73. doi: 10.1177/1745691615596991. Available at: <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691615596991#articleCitationDownloadContainer>[Accessed 20 November 2020]
Depository, B., 2019. The Greatest Glory In Living Lies Not In Never Falling, But In Rising Every Time We Fall. : Score Your Goal : 9781096644248. [online] Bookdepository.com. Available at: <https://www.bookdepository.com/greatest-glory-living-lies-not-never-falling-but-rising-every-time-we-fall-Score-Your-Goal/9781096644248> [Accessed 21 November 2020].
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