Do You Need a Backup Plan?
Common sense dictates that we should have a backup plan, a Plan B, or even Plan C, if Plan A doesn’t work out. But what I’m going to say may surprise you. Success often comes when there is no backup plan!
First of all, I’m not advising you to be careless. And I would like to make it clear that this is a very unique perspective I’m giving you, not the USUAL one. But it’s something that has worked for me, and for others as well.
In Napoleon Hill’s book THINK AND GROW RICH, he narrated a story about a warrior who had to eradicate all backup plans when faced with an almost impossible challenge:
A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the battlefield. He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy’s country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, then gave the order to burn the ships that had carried them. Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, “You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice – we win or we perish! They won.
The explanation for their victory is very much evident, they had a very strong motivation to win, and no doubt whatsoever in their minds to prompt them to lose and give up.
When we have doubts of this kind, we give so much importance to our backup plans, as though they were the REAL plans we have to succeed. As a result, we don’t give our best shot to our current undertakings, always thinking that there is still room for mistakes, for an escape, IF we fail. It’s just like procrastination. Even if we could accomplish our work for today, we think that there will ALWAYS be tomorrow to make up for our backlogs and shortcomings.
On the other hand, when we have no backup plans, we think more clearly, and simply. All that we think about is succeeding in what we do TODAY.
Further, people who are so sure of what they’re doing don’t care anymore about backup plans. They have found their true PASSION. They’re ready to stake everything upon it, even their very lives, because without it, even life itself is meaningless.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
– Matthew 13:45-46, NIV
Check Jocelyn's books:
"Of Waves and Butterflies: Poems on Grief", "Mend My Broken Heart", "Questions to God", "To Love an Invisible God", "Defending My Catholic Faith", and more - click here.
(You may freely quote excerpts from this website as long as due credit is given to author Jocelyn Soriano and the website itakeoffthemask.com)
10 replies on “Do You Need a Backup Plan?”
Jocelyn, you make a great point here. there goes my back up! I am throwing it out the window. You convinced me that I don’t need it. thank you I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful day. blessing to you. Debbie
@HappyMaker – Hi Debbie! Nice to see you here 😉 God bless you, too and may His providence be all the backup plan you’ll ever need!
I see what you are trying to say Jocelyn and I AGREE with your point – not to go into back up plans too deep. Yet I believe, also here we should be careful, not taking it fundamentally,.. going recklessly through our lives without ANY plan B, for God also gave us brain to use.
@Peter – I also agree with you in not being careless, Peter, as I’ve mentioned also in the article. 😉 I guess it’s a matter of wisdom, on when and how to be prudent, and when to be daring and bold with our actions, as inspired by our faith and guided by God.
The thing is that I think we need to be willing to give up our plans and give them to God. We surrender them to God. That way, if he wants to change them or give us a plan B we are at least open to hearing from him knowing that he knows what is best.
When I hold on for dear life to my goals, I close my heart to his.
@Jeff Simms – Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Jeff. When we surrender our plans to God, we are certain that God will provide us the guidance we need for His plans to bear fruit. Our thinking, no matter how in-depth they seem cannot compare with God’s infinite wisdom. Many indeed are the plans in man’s heart, but it is God’s purposes that prevail. 😉
Hello Jocelyn,
You’ve got a beautiful blog here. Thank you for your posts, there are simple and quite true. I totally have to agree with your point. “Success often comes when there is no backup plan!”
Your new friend from Ghana, West Africa.
@GADEL – Hi Gadel! Thank you 😉 I’m really happy to be able to have a new friend from Ghana, Africa.
I’m pretty much excited too to have another friend from the Philippines. Thank you so much for your comments. I sincerely appreciates that a lot.
Godwin
PS: Happy Palm/Passion Sunday of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I totally agree with you that Success often comes when there is no backup plan.When we planed,we have already thought carefully about this,we could predict what happened with this.We need time to make another plan,not backup