This post is both parts 4 and 5 of the hiking series of articles I had started. This post will discuss the concepts I was going to go over in the last two parts of the series, and I will discuss them not in relation to hiking, but in more general terms. There is a lot of value in setting a plan and going with it, and sharing strengths with others will get you further than you could ever get on your own.
Acting On Your Plans
Going with a plan is a big deal. I know many have a problem with planning to do something and then not doing it. Somewhere between the planning and time where the action is skipped is some sort of giving up. This creates a bad feeling that would not have been there had you not made plans outside of your interests. This is completely within our control, as we eliminate the reasons why our plan-to-action ratio is not very near 1:1. We are in control of both sides of that equation, but often act like we are only able to make tentative plans, and the actions working out is the part we hope for.
The Value In Plans Is High
When you plan to go to a sports match with two buddies on a Thursday night, or plan to go to a comedy show with an old friend on a Saturday night, you are creating a future memory. The plan you make and act on will be “the thing you did” that day. Maintaining a good ratio of plans-to-action reduces the amount of days you will look back on as days where the main plan didn’t work out.
Sharing Strengths Is A Winning Tactic
If you are good at singing and your friend is good at making melodic music, the obvious match there is something to not take for granted. You may not have that friend around later, or may lose the motivation to sing publicly, or so on. We sometimes assume that the window of time we have to team up with someone is huge, when it is actually reasonably short before something changes in one of your lives. They may move on after waiting for you to team up with them, finding someone else interested in singing to their music, for example. Use that opportunity when it is there, and you will be unstoppable by most, because the ability of two people teamed up is more than double that of a single person, due to each person’s skill added to any synergistic effects.
Seek Out Those Who Are A Match Right Now
There is likely at least one person right now who would like to team up with you in some aspect. They might have already signaled it to you, or are leaving you to see the chance, but either way, you likely have a sense of it too. Give it a shot, because if you don’t, you will later still want to give it a shot, even when they have moved on in their efforts.
This concludes the mountain hiking trail adventure series in a way that was enjoyable for me.
What do you think about the value of some activities you plan and perform? Do you often plan something and then not follow the plan you made? Is there someone you can share strengths with at this time who you have not approached yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Links To The Rest Of The Series
- Series Introduction
- Part One – Punctuality
- Part Two – Realistic Optimism
- Part Three – Setting Goal Points
Related posts:
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Armen, great post. I’m interested in developing more shared strengths. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hey Oscar.
Thanks for that. It’s easy for us to know our own strengths, and we are usually pretty good at judging what others are good at.
And they say hiking is just walking for a long time
. It’s amazing how you can find inspiration in almost anything. Congrats!
Eduard
Twitter: eduardezeanu
Hey Eduard.
It sure is walking for a long time. That’s a valid point. It does get hard at some points in big hikes though. Also there are risks involved about getting back before it is dark, or getting lost.
Good to hear from you.
Hey Armen, interesting post, especially with what you can learn from just hiking.
For me, I always do some planning before I take any actions (Every action). So sometimes that habit can be a little tiring. But i’m trying to be more…impulsive and go with my guts sometimes without any planning, it makes me sort of feel more human (if that makes any sense).
Although I often plan, I don’t usually follow up with them. And so I miss out on a lot of chances for me to improve. But because of those years of static life, I became desperate enough to take action and follow through. But I am still learning to take more actions in order to work with others. Because you are right, shared strengths is much more powerful than working alone.
Thank you for this reminder Armen, I appreciate it
Steven
Hey Steven.
I hear what you are saying there. That added impulse makes us feel less structured like our whole day is already planned from start to finish, which I could use a bit more of. Maybe an 80% planned day is the way to go.
Shared strengths has always been around but now has more applicability.
Glad to see your thoughts.
Armen, This has been a great series. I like your ideas of seeking out others to spend time with. We don’t always know how much time we have to connect with another individual. So often things in our life change, and these relationships can end before they’ve really had a chance to begin.
Hi Eric.
Thanks for that. I sure am glad to have started and finished it. For a little bit there it was like a 100-page book and I was on page 70.
We have to connect while we have the chance. I think about this lately with songs. I have thoughts for a post about this because I have two points to make about it.
Armen,
Going with a plan is a matter of decision. I think it was Napoleon Hill who said that children should be given a class in decision-making during the early years. Most people can’t make a decision. This is evident when going from the planning to action stage. All the tools are in place and then……it’s put off until the person has the time for it. Just go forward. I’ve learned that planning means nothing without action. Sometimes I don’t plan at all. That’s OK. The tools always reveal themselves along my journey. It’s better than spending my entire life in the planning stage
Twitter: ryanbiddulph
Hi Ryan.
That would be a good class to take. I can think of a few concepts that would be great to present in classes to younger folks. These are not taught at regular public schools, but I know some high-level concepts are taught at private-type schools for younger people. It really makes a difference when a 10 year old gets some high-end material taught to them early on, as they will then be very ahead of their peers.
Good call about the tools revealing themselves. There is no point in getting worked up about them because it works better when they arrive to help instead of get seeked out for help.