The perfect plan

It may seem that way on paper, but you can bet it will be less perfect when met with imperfect real life. All is not lost, though. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Give yourself a timeline to make the best plan possible. Don’t plan indefinitely or you will never get started.
2. Plan for your plan not to go as planned. Expect unknowns and obstacles, and anticipate how you will handle them.
3. Be flexible with your plan. Don’t be hard-set on having one way to achieve the goal — if something isn’t working, it’s okay to change direction.

Having a plan is a start. Planning for the unexpected is a step up. But plans that succeed are often the ones that are different at the end than they were at the beginning.