Have a Plan That You Can Call YOURS

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty." 
- Proverbs 21:5 NKJV 

DILIGENT: characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort

PLAN: a set of actions that have been thought of as a way to do or achieve something; a method for achieving an end; GOAL (the end toward which effort is directed); aim

I've heard a lot of talk lately from people who say they know what it takes to be successful.

Some people say you should have a backup plan, a Plan B, in case Plan A doesn't work. 

Others say you shouldn't have a Plan B, because it distracts from Plan A.

I see both sides as being valid, because as different as these arguments seem, they share one simple idea:

You should have a plan of your own.

That might seem like a Duh(!!) statement, but it really isn't...and I can prove it.

Many people today live with the results of "having the rug pulled out from under them," so to speak.

They did what they were told from their youth: went to school, got good grades, got a good education and a good job...you know the drill...

They found a good company to work for, and planned to work their way up the ladder, earning promotions, raises and bonuses along the way.

They planned to work for the same company 20, 30, 40 years or more, then retire with a gold watch, a pension, etc., for loyal service during a long and productive career.

They had it all figured out, they told themselves, that was their "plan"...

Until the morning when their supervisor or manager requested a private meeting, behind closed doors...

...a meeting where they received news they thought they'd never hear, or quietly dreaded but never dared to voice their fears:

Your job will be terminated two months from now, or,

Your job will end by Friday of this week...or worst of all...

Have your desk cleaned out by the end of the day...

Talk about a kick to the gut! You feel hurt, angry, blindsided, completely caught off guard, maybe even betrayed...

What about the plans you made for your future? What about your spouse? Your kids? The baby on the way? Your house, car...bills? Obligations?

Long story short, your life just got turned upside down when you got hit with a dose of reality:

The plan you were operating under, the life you were living, the life you assumed was so ideal...  

WASN'T YOURS..!! It belonged to someone else! And they can change that plan anytime they want, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!

The scenario I just described is one I have witnessed many times. It happened to me and to a lot of people I knew and worked with:

I watched a former supervisor clean out her desk under the watchful eye of a security guard who was ordered to escort her off the premises because after sharing her knowledge (not voluntarily, I might add) she was deemed "no longer useful to the company..."

I heard the cheers of relief in our office when the head of our division revealed he'd just left a meeting in a different location where people (who did the same work we did) were told they no longer had a job...

I heard someone else in a separate meeting try her best to convince us that people only lost positions due to poor job performance...

I say she "tried", because we all knew she returned from a meeting where she sat across from another person being let go to make room for her because their services were "redundant"...

(Incidentally, this same individual left the company less than a year later because she put a Plan B in place for her future...just thought I'd point that out)

Am I coming through loud and clear? Have you got your ears on..??

If the success of your "plan" depends entirely upon the decisions of someone who is capable of turning your world upside down with the stroke of a pen, you are only kidding yourself.

I don't care whether you call it Plan A, Plan B, or a plan that encompasses the entire alphabet...

You better have a plan that you call YOURS. NOT THEIRS.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket...especially if that basket belongs to someone else.

You better have a basket that lets you carry your own eggs. If it takes more than one basket that's fine, but make sure you have a basket which belongs to you. PERIOD.

Long story short, if you don't want to have the rug pulled out from under you...

...make sure you own the rug...!!!  'Nuf said.

That's all for now, gotta run.  

Until next time, remember:

Keep it simple...  See ya!

P.S.  If you're seeking a plan that belongs to you and not to them, you'll want to watch this:

If you like what you see, you can reach me on Facebook, Twitter (@63MrBryantET) or Gmail (mr.bryantet63@gmail.com)

Take care and Keep it simple... See ya!