Planning Without Action is Just Procrastination
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” —Theodore Roosevelt
Planning matters. I believe it is one of the most underutilized tools almost every leader employs. I’ve made that clear in "The Path to Success Begins with Planning."
But action matters as well. Most leaders default to fire-ready-aim. Some say they don’t have time to plan. That’s not true. Planning is valuable. Yet it can become a trap. Over-planning can suck the life out of momentum. A perfect plan is still no substitute for movement. Don’t let planning become procrastination.
“67 percent of well‑formulated strategies fail because execution never arrives.” —Harvard Business Review
Like any useful tool, planning can be overdone. Extremes rarely help, and planning is no different. The real danger comes when leaders try to see too far ahead. Elaborate plans that try to predict years into the future or pile on complexity usually collapse under their own weight. That failure then convinces people that planning itself doesn’t work. Another trap is treating planning as a substitute for work. Chasing the perfect plan can waste as much time as having no plan at all. If your planning keeps you from moving, you are not planning, you are procrastinating.
Take the First Step
Once your plan points you in the right direction, identify the first step and take it. Even a small move builds momentum. I know the temptation to keep shaping outlines or arranging tasks that sit further down the road. I’ve caught myself there, too. What helps is acting on something simple in the moment. Pick the smallest next action and get started.
A simple way to think about this comes from TinyHabits.com. The idea is to shrink big goals into very small steps that get you moving. Examples:
Write the first sentence of the email.
Print the planogram, even if the rest is unclear.
Gather your team for a quick huddle instead of waiting to schedule a full meeting.
Lay out the materials you need the night before.
I’ve learned that when I use planning time to name that first step and do it, momentum follows. For me, it might be writing the opening line of an article the day before I sit down to finish it. That way, I’m not starting from scratch. I also do this when building large LEGO sets. I open and sort the next bag of bricks, so when I start again next time, I can get started building right away. Your version will look different. You might be writing out your store visit notes the night before, even if it is just the first bullet of what you want to accomplish. Once it is started, it is always easier to move forward from there. Find the small thing that helps to jump-start the bigger thing. Small steps get big work started.
I will always believe in the value of planning. But balance matters. If you spend as much time acting as you do planning, you give yourself the best chance to move forward. A good plan plus steady action keeps you on the path to the results you want.
What are some small, first steps you can take to get started on your most important project today?
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