The Importance of Plan “B”

Life is unpredictable, times without number things don’t flow the way we want them, But as long there is a Plan “B”, that would always take care of them.

In the 1984 Olympic games, as was reported in Reading digest, Heavy weight boxer, Henry Tillman, planned out a very careful strategy. He decided he would fight defensively, simply warding off his opponent’s blows, until he saw an opening for a strike, minutes into the fight, it became obvious to Tillman that his opponent had planned the same strategy. After the bell sounded ending the round, Tillman stepped back, dropped his hands, and mentally shifted gears. He recognized that his initial game plan might not work, but he had come prepared with a second plan (plan “B”). He switched to take-the-offensive mode of fighting; he won the match and ultimately won the gold medal.

Remember champions are not made in the ring. There would have been champions training. Every aspect of there preparation would have been taken care of before the main competition. The same goes with every one of us. Adequate preparation enables us to withstand any unforeseen circumstance (there sure will always be one) along the journey of fulfilling our dreams.

Mistakes are allowed. Everyone does that. But how you react to it is what really matters. Your plan “B” should be your attitude towards that situation. A public speaker would sometimes have his memory fail him while trying to get out a very good speech, a good speech is one properly backed up with an alternative (plan “B”). According to a writer, “No matter how much we rehearse a plan, things don’t always go as we desire. True champions are those who are prepared to adapt if necessary and switch quickly to what works. In the words of tennis star Arthur Ashe “One important key to success is self-confidence”. An important key to self-confidence is preparation, and a good preparation is one with rooms for alternatives (plan “B”).