This is one of the first things that my Section Commander taught us on arrival at Basic Training. It has been key to pretty much most of what has happened in my life since then. It is probably the one key to success in both Military life and civilian life that has worked consistently. Every time I have not planned well, then things have gone astray.
Whether you are running a meeting, getting dressed or organizing an event for 300 people, planning is the key to success.
Stephen Covey, the creator of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” put it into simplest terms of
Put First Things First
Planning and prioritization are key, if you fail to plan, then you are effectively planning to fail.
In the “Art of War“, Sun Tzu stated that planning is:
It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.
If you take only one thing away from this entire site, then “the 7Ps” is the one thing I would recommend.
Planning ahead is essential for anything, fitness before a course, pre-course reading, planning your day to work effectively, to making a date go well. Planning is essential. It comes into all aspects of life.
The Down Side
There is an old military adage, “No plan survives first contact”. Whatever plan you have made, you need to ensure that it has an alternate plan, backup plan, and there are options available if things need to change.
Take your journey to work, you plan your route, you know how long it will take, you have traveled down it many times. You set out a few minutes late and hit some roadworks, then an accident is blocking the road… how do you get to work on time? Is there an alternate route, is there a way you can bypass the blockages?
The same can be applied to any plan. You should always “Plan for the worse, and hope for the best”.
Army Training Channel 