Sanl #52 jahresplanung

SALN #53 – Your annual plan has already failed. And that’s okay.

Reading time: 3 minutes 

When we plan, the gods laugh at us. Because we know too little for a perfect plan. But every plan sheds light on the future and gives us support in deciding which of the resulting options are good for us. 

Same procedure as every year. 

At the end of the year, before the New Year’s Eve party, the ambitious manager takes a piece of paper and a fountain pen and writes down his/her goals for the year: for business, finances, health, and mindset. 

I have been using the Annual Compass for years. 

Same procedure as every year. 

Dinner for one
„Dinner for One” (1963) with May Warden and Freddie Frinton

Then the neighbour has the biggest fireworks again. At 12 p.m. there will be a toast. At Dinner for One, the butler stumbles drunkenly over the tiger skin. 

The new year will then start with new goals. Often it is about health, finances, a job, or family. Same procedure as last year. 

According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), January accounts for 12% of all annual gym registrations, while the rest of the year averages just 8.3% of registrations. More than half of all new registrations of the year are in January alone. 

And then many give up quickly. 

  • Unrealistic goals: Training for specific body types (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph) follows different principles regarding muscle building, fat loss, and endurance. 
  • Lack of success because there is a lack of knowledge for suitable training. 
  • Overcrowded studios and a lack of capacity cramp the space for newcomers and fit athletes. Crowd leads to ‘body shaming’ and leads to the question, “Do I really need this?” 
  • The lack of integration into everyday life means that fitness is not implemented as a new habit. It is a tantalus task to give yourself the impetus to go to the gym every day. 

That’s why so many give up. Most annual goals are already unachieved at the end of the month, seem unrealistic, are demotivating, and are overwhelmed by everyday life. Every year anew. 

That’s why the gods laugh at us when we plan. 

We humans just have to plan properly. 

No success without planning. 

No ambitious project can do without planning. 

From restaurant operations to space missions. From the car factory to software production. 

The problem: Important planning information is only created when we have started the project. Last October, the renowned Planview blog published an article about Value Stream Management as a successful method in hardware and software integration in the automotive industry. This method focuses on the speed of implementation, strategic decisions, risk management, and technical debt. Taking the easy route leads to the emergence of technical debt. 

So, there is the right planning method for every environment. 

Personal annual goals require a complex method. Even a complicated method does not make annual planning reliable. 

Meaningful context is needed for planning. 

I had this realization during our Atlantic crossing from 2019 to 2021. 

Journey of the sy argo

The voyage of the sailing yacht “ARGO” 2019-2022

We had been planning the trip since 2014 and then left on 1.8.2019. In our 14 m sailboat ARGO, with the dog Vu and the whole family. 

We had many fixed plans: which seasonal winds we would use, when to call at which port, where crew members would be exchanged, where we could procure food, medicine and spare parts, where we could carry out repairs to the sails and engine. So, the Atlantic round was planned for exactly 12 months. 

On March 18, 2020, all our plans were destroyed. We were in Santiago de Cuba and the world was going into the first lockdown at that time. The fact that we were forced to abandon our plans was the best thing that could have happened to us: While people were in lockdown in Europe, we were sitting on our boat in in paradise, in the Caribbean. 

One year turned into almost three years. Instead of Bermuda, we sailed to Mexico and Panama. We had to reschedule repeatedly. We probably made 20 different  yearly plans. 

And I learned a lot about humility and planning during that time. Without planning, we would never have finished this trip safely. We sailed back to Europe without an accident and without damage. 

Four elements that give goals important context. 

In addition to clear goals (“We want to go to San Blas in Panama, and we want to avoid the pirates of Honduras”), you need a map and GPS to measure progress. 

But four other elements are needed: 

  • Clear principles: The experts, the professionals in a field, have mnemonic phrases such as “Never sail in the same ocean as a hurricane.” “When sailing, always have a plan B.” Or: “A diesel engine can’t be broken if it has compression and gets enough diesel.” This means that you can get almost any diesel engine running. Or: “There is no perfect boat; something is always broken.” Therefore, waiting for the boat to reach perfection is futile. Knowing and following such principles makes the most ambitious goals possible. You only have to actively collect these principles from experts. 
  • Proven protocols: There are sensible processes and procedures, such as preparing food in advance for three days. Because each body needs 3 days to get used to the fast movements. Such protocols also exist for harsh weather, difficult entry into ports, emergencies at sea, and medical emergencies. Ideally, you practice this beforehand: We have a safety course at the naval school in Neustadt, Holstein. Knowledge of such protocols is what makes an Atlantic crossing possible in the first place. 
  • Fixed capacities: It is important to set fixed times for working on the goals in the daily routine. It takes time to achieve big goals. You benefit from the compound interest effect of time. A growth dynamic is created, the “flywheel effect.” In preparation on land, I deal with topics such as routes, equipment, border controls, health, and money on a daily basis. During the trip, I worked daily on maintenance and route planning. 
  • Changing drive: Without inner motivation, no amount of detailed planning makes sense. But this inner drive fluctuates. There are many ports on the sailing routes (e.g., Gran Canaria, Martinique, French Polynesia) where there are a lot of sailboats for sale. Many sailors find out on the trip that their big dream feels completely different in reality. But these low moods have others. And the exchange with each other helps to give each other encouragement and rekindle one’s own drive. 

The most important thing: get started. 

Planning is a maze of analysis that can lead to paralysis. 

When sailing, I always met those with bad plans. They then have accidents: they land on the beach in a storm, sink their boat on a reef, or are run over by a steamer at night. 

In the case of annual planning, these are the ones with the annual subscription to the fitness centre that they never use. 

But that happens to everyone: We were stranded in West Palm Beach in 2020 and couldn’t continue sailing until the next high tide. A Trump supporter drove by on his motorboat within earshot and asked his wife how anyone could be such an idiot to be stranded in the middle of the harbour entrance. 

Look at failures as learning opportunities. Your own mistakes are the best learning experiences. New principles emerge; for example, never sail over ground that is too flat at the beginning of low tide. You can also ask others and benefit from their experiences. 

At this time of the year, we run the risk of setting goals that are too static: I want the weight, the salary, this marathon time, this job. And we already accept today that we will fail. 

But we should start and check along the way: What principles and protocols do those who have successfully achieved the goal follow? Have I planned enough capacity? What helps me through the days when I have little motivation? 

So: Check your annual plan again. 

Where are principles, the process,…? Have you planned capacities and taken precautions for fluctuating motivation? 

The marinas in the Canary Islands are full of seaworthy yachts that will never cross the Atlantic. You can buy them very cheaply. And in 2025, gym owners will be able to say how the year is going as early as the end of January. 

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