In life, everything we do is based upon some kind of decision. Growing up I was always told, “You should always have a Plan B”. As I’ve gotten older, I realized that is a bunch of BS. I’ve come to realize that I should forget Plan B because failure is not an option. If you want to be successful in anything you do no matter how big or small, you must not ever focus on “Plan B”.
WTF Are You Talking About?
What I’m saying is if there is something you want to do in life, just do it! It’s always easier said than done and the grass is always greener on the other side. You will fail somewhere along the way. The successes will be great too depending on HOW you decide to measure it. I have failed so many times in life that it would overwhelm most people. However, my measure of success is me doing better than my last. I can control that. How, what, when, where, and why I succeed is all up to me.
The problem I’ve found is that we’ve been told stupid crap like “just encase it doesn’t work out, you should have a Plan B”. This is a huge freaking problem because over time, we end up spending so much time trying to secure “Plan B” all the while not realizing we’ve doomed Plan A! So what’s the point of having a Plan A in the first place then?
You’ve heard the term “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. It might sound good but there’s little growth in that. Why the hell would you want to spread yourself so thin? I’m not saying don’t have multiple streams of income and use your multiple talents and gifts. I am simply telling you that when it comes to goals, stick to that 1 goal or milestone until it’s complete. Then when you’ve had that success, you can move on into your next goal or milestone with confidence.
Put all your eggs in one basket and watch the basket very carefully – Warren Buffett
That statement translated to me as “Put all your eggs in one basket and focus like hell on that basket”. I have identified a basket that I want to invest my time into. Time is important to me so I will focus like hell on that basket because that’s one thing I cannot get back. Inside that basket, you will find economics, health, spirituality, etc. All of that is to support my Plan A. There is no Plan B. This MUST work.
Anxiety from Fear
This is a life killer. Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what is to come. It will kill you and your dreams. I experienced my first Anxiety attack this year and I hated every part of it. Crazy thoughts ran unchecked and my body was reacting to it. It sucked and is something I never want to experience again.
So! What to do about it? Well, the first thing would be not to have anxiety. Again, easier said than done but it can be done! Hold up… let us dive deeper into this. Anxiety can come from what others think of us, what people might say, what my spouse might think, what my parents might say, what if I don’t like it, what if I fail, what if I succeed, what does that mean!? It means you need to get off your butt and make your basket count because all of what I mentioned is going to happen anyway.
Fear sucks! It is true that it can be and is a powerful motivator but what will it motivate you to do? It’s designed for you to quit. Heck, it will keep you from ever getting started and stay in your comfort zone. The bigger issue is that this is common and the norm for most people. Since the consensus is on board why should you be? It isn’t like you’re going to be great at something *sarcasm*.
A Path to Plan A
Let’s talk about education. I didn’t graduate from college. Heck, I went 4 different times and never finished. It isn’t that I’m stupid or not focussed, they just didn’t have what I wanted to learn. I was into web development and at that time there were no college classes for that. There was Computer Science but that was super boring to me. So I took classes online, read a lot, and became self-taught.
I worked at places that would get me to where I could consider myself to be successful. My Plan A was to build websites and software during the day and do music at night. I succeeded! My career funded my musical goals and kept me thinking and on my toes. Now I have several album credits for engineering and as a musician. I even have a patent pending for work I did as a Software Engineer as well.
Throughout my life, I was told I needed to get a degree. Now I hire people with degrees. There is absolutely nothing wrong with higher education. The point I am making is that it is not the end-all-be-all. I’ve owned my own recording studio and play 3 instruments. Today I have my own software dev. company as well as a real estate company and a blog.
The point of me saying all of this is to show that the status quo and consensus is wack. You can do more and be more beyond what you’ve been taught, think, or what the world and society say. I am living proof of it. Now I’m working on buying my time back. That is the basket I am focussing on. Having a family, making sure I have time for them as well as my parents, mean more to me than working and waiting for retirement.
What is your Plan A?
Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once)
Listen, you’ve got one life to live so make it count. Don’t put your plan A on hold for anyone or anything. If you want to be an NBA star, then go for it! Forget Plan B. Make the best out of it and don’t give up. You might want to skip college (the traditional thing) and go into a trade, DO IT! I’m not knocking education, what I’m saying is don’t go just to say you did. Never stop learning! If a college has what you need to grow in your Plan A, then GO LEARN IT!
Get started and cut the noise on why you shouldn’t, why you can’t, roadblocks, etc. Who the hell cares! Live the “Why you should” run up on it like a thug, and show these obstacles what time it is! If you want some more insight on getting started in things, check out A Career Mission for my Vision. There is context there and some examples as well.
You can do it!
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