Why You Don't Need To Have A Plan B

As a coach and educator, I've raised a few eyebrows when I state that I don't believe in having a "Plan B." At the time I embraced this perspective I didn't realize it was shared by so many - many who are extremely successful.

Sure, if you are in LA and you have plans to go to a specific trendy restaurant, that we will call "Plan A," it behooves you to have another, alternative restaurant in mind, that we will call "Plan B" - just in case you can't get into "Plan A," or you don't have the patience for a two hour wait.  "Plan B" saves your evening and reveals itself as a prudent decision.

But in matters pertaining to career planning and development, where one has made a well-educated decision on what career choice they want to pursue, "Plan B" will diminish the focus, intensity, and vigor with which one pursues "Plan A."

It's possible that one can achieve success in another endeavor or field that was not their intention, but in my decades of experience as a career specialist, I've observed that this occurs when unforeseen options, opportunities, and roles arise while in pursuit of "Plan A".

In such instances, "Plan A" gets replaced - not abandoned.

When the decision to pursue "Plan A" is not born from thorough research (both externally and internally), the vibrancy and viability of "Plan A" can fade, in which case one would be quite happy to have a "Plan B", as one would be to have an alternative restaurant to go to.

So the question to ask yourself is this: Is the dining experience at the restaurant of your choice worth waiting in line for?

You bet it is.