Over a few steins of beer this past week in a biergarten in Frankfurt, an expat Spaniard living in Germany gave me his perspective on his adopted homeland.
After hearing about the more typical things like very clean cities, highly reliable infrastructures, and the beautiful scenery, etc...he summed up his greatest frustrations with the country in this succinct way: "There is no plan B!".
When I poked a bit for some examples, he explained that the very mentality that makes life in Germany so dependable is the same one that creates a cultural inflexibility that drives him crazy. His view has evolved over the past few years as he witnessed countless examples of a thought process that he says sounds something like this:
"We stick to the plan because that is what we do, it is how we do it, and because it is, after all, THE plan." Full Stop.
In other words, the idea of veering from the plan(plan A) is simply not given any mind share, therefore, there is no plan B.
As I thought about what he said, I began to see the way in which a 'no plan B' strategy, as a self-coaching tool, could mean the difference between success or failure for any personal goal.
Consider this:
If there is a viable Plan B, it creates the possibility that:
- Your resources have been compromised...You have put time and energy into the creation of a viable Plan B which could have been channeled into Plan A.
- You have given yourself an 'out clause' that might be called in to play when Plan A begins to push you outside your comfort zone.
- Like keeping the training wheels on your bike, you are not fully experiencing all that Plan A has to offer - you're playing safe because 'there's always Plan B'.
If there is no viable Plan B, it creates the possibility that:
- Failure is not an option. The pressure to succeed in Plan A could be the catalyst from which your most creative ideas flow.
- Plan A becomes the epicenter of all your energy, resources, and focus leaving no room to dwell on anything but Plan A.
- What looks like a failure becomes nothing more than a short term obstacle to overcome en route to success.
Of course, the key to making a No Plan B Strategy work is to articulate Plan A in a way that connects to your heart and soul. Think big picture and trust that the details will unfold as you go along. Ask yourself these questions about your Plan A:
Is it specific to now or is it timeless?
Is it short term or broadly visioned out?
How well does it capture the essence of your deepest held values - i.e. autonomy, charity, altruism, benevolence?
What does it communicate about that which you hold most dear - i.e. I care about global issues, I am invested in improving my community, I want my family to flourish?
Does it speak your truth so clearly that there is not even a thought about a Plan B, C, D, or otherwise?
Does it make your heart sing?
If not, pour yourself a few steins of good German beer and refine, revise, and re-write it until it does. Then, make Plan A what you do and how you do it because, after all, it is YOUR plan. Full Stop.
