What Happens When “The Plan” Falls Through?

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson

People love to plan. Everyone has a plan. You can’t do anything in today’s world without a plan. But having a plan is only part of the equation… and I would say it is the easy part.

The harder part of achieving success today is psychological. How will you react when something does not go “according to plan.” How will you navigate that first speed bump, or rejection, or (to quote Mike Tyson) that first punch in the mouth? Because that punch is coming.

I started this business fifteen years ago. As I look back now, proud of the team we have built and the clients we work with, I realize that having a plan was critical. But more important than the plan was the willingness and ability to withstand failure, or delay, or the unknown. Business success is equal parts skill, planning and psychology. There were so many moments along the way when it would have been easy to step back and walk away from what we were building here at The Latimer Group.

My point today is not to tout our firm to you. Rather, the point today is to use my own experience to introduce the concept that business success requires that you have the strength to get up off the mat when you take that first punch in the mouth. You didn’t get the promotion you wanted? You got cut from the team? You got fired? You didn’t win the bid? Well… that sucks. I feel for you. I really do. But what’s next? Get up off the mat. Everyone gets knocked down. But not everyone has the strength to get back up.

I started thinking about this today after a call from my dear friend Dan, who always seems to have a great idea. Every time we speak, he gives me something to think about. And today, he told me to watch this video, and to remember that success is about a lot more than having a plan.

Thanks Dan!

Have a great day, everyone.