A dream remains just that until you create a structure
around its realization. The plan is that structure that brings about form to
your dreams. A plan is the roadmap that will guide you from where you are to
where you want to end at. To ensure success someone said you need to pray as
though everything depends on God and plan as though everything depends on you.
Great things are accomplished when man co-works with God in perfect harmony.
There are two dangers inherently found here. On the one hand, we have those who
leave everything in the hands of fate (God). They mistakenly believe that the
stars will get aligned in their favor. That whatever higher power they believe
in will do what needs to be done and lead them to the enjoyment of the fruit.
This view is wrong and downplays the contribution of mere mortals to the
realization of great feats. On the other hand, there is the view that believes
in the indispensability of human effort in the accomplishment of these great
feats. Such are those who believe that it is purely human ingenuity that has
and can accomplish great feats. They downplay and negate the impact of the
invisible higher power. They limit themselves significantly because this means
they cannot tap into what is unseen and unlimited. Both views are wrong. The
victory is found in the middle ground where we have God and man each playing
their own role effectively leading to the realization of great aspirations.
There is no substitute for planning. The greater your dream,
the more elaborate your planning needs to be. Planning is a function of
management. You must see yourself as the manager over your dreams. Realize that
things don’t just happen by chance. Acknowledge that it takes the diligent
planning and execution of plans to move from where you are to where you want to
be. I love the Swahili proverb ‘Ukiona vyaelea jua vimeundwa’ loosely
translated it means, whatever you see has been put in place by someone’s
effort. We do not sleep our way into realizing our dreams. We are called upon
to stand up and pursue unwaveringly that which we are convicted of and
committed to.
Planning is about counting the cost. What is it going to
take to realize the dream? You ask yourself whether you have the resources in
place to get the job done. At the planning stage you gather all what you need
to build your dream house. Here you weigh your options to choose the best way
forward. Here you also determine how long it will take you, who you need to tag
along, what is the fastest, cost effective and sustainable path to follow in the
pursuit of your dream. Planning is about mapping out the details so that you
don’t leave more than you should to chance. It doesn’t lock God out. It just
ensures that man takes care of his end of the bargain. You don’t want to get to
the point of saying what will be, will be. That is the posture of a man who is
helpless and who sees himself as a victim with no choice whatsoever what
happens to them. You also want to avoid the posture of a know-it-all who
doesn’t need anyone else’s input towards their success. You will make things
unnecessarily difficult for yourself if you take this stance.
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