I have “winged” a lot of things in my life, and somehow made them work.I found myself trying to work my way out of issues I made because I didn’t take the time to think them through. What do I want to happen? What happens after that? Then, where does this end?
“IDK- Let’s just do it!”
-Younger Jeff
But I knew that if I wanted to have an extraordinary life, then I would need to put more effort than “winging it” into my passions, projects, and relationships. I wanted to build my life on purpose and with intent.
So I turned to address my most obvious weakness, planning. With each plan I wrote, I felt more empowered. I would finish a whiteboard timeline and sit at my desk like I was the proud new owner of a beautiful Faberge egg… Or maybe more like Smeagul and the one ring. I felt accomplished without ever leaving my desk, and that was the problem.
I thought that by planning things over and over again, I would see real progress in my business, fitness, and even relationships.
But that didn’t happen.
I just got better at planning.
And those areas of my life? They didn’t improve. They actually got worse.
I got so engrossed in feeling like I would even make a difference by planning EVERYTHING, that I forgot the whole point of planing. I forgot to actually execute.
I’ve grown since that time and I can tell you this.
You need to do both to get anywhere.
Here is an illustration I like, on how to prioritize them.
A bad plan =$1
A good plan =$10
A great plan =$15
A BRILLIANT plan =$20
No execution =$0
Bad execution =$100
Lack-luster execution =$1,000
Good execution =$10,000
Great Execution =$100,000
BRILLIANT execution =$1,000,000
Multiply the two.
A BRILLIANT plan with no execution is still worth $0.
A bad plan with even “lackluster” execution is worth $1,000. *lackluster means it just gets done, but without enthusiasm or drive to improve it.
But with brilliant execution, ANY plan, whether it be brilliant, good, or even bad, is still worth at least 1 million dollars.
We guide people through the planning stage in their fitness, fat-loss, and health journeys, but we make sure they leave the planning stage with action steps and accountability with an expert trainer. We teach our members the importance of taking action on day one and building from there.
I’m not so addicted to planning anymore. It took me a few years, lots of expensive mistakes, and self-sabotage to understand how planning and execution can’t exist in isolation. They build on one another. The better each one is, the more complete of a tool, the pair becomes.