Process Your Past In Planning For Future

The season of Annual Operating Plans is here, and I have noticed that many people struggle with how to approach the planning process for the upcoming year. One common issue is that people tend to focus solely on the future without reflecting on their past experiences.

I share this view with all my colleagues: Planning for your future without processing your past will make your future look like your past.

Every year, we make plans and resolutions based on what we think we want: a better body, relationships, money, a better job, and so on. Why? Because we believe achieving these plans will make us better, happier, and more successful.

But when making these plans, do we pause to consider what our past and present tell us? Do we reflect on our experiences, figure out what we have learned, and apply them when formulating plans?

The problem is in the approach. When we plan for the future without adequately processing the past, without understanding what worked and what did not, we are likely to make the same mistakes over and over again. In the process, we commit ourselves to outcomes that we don’t understand and can’t control, resulting in strategies that are sometimes too big or too ambitious. We end up operating on hope.

When creating operating plans, it is essential to reflect on your past experiences. Doing so will help you build a better understanding of your situation and yourself, enabling you to use that understanding to guide your plans. This will make you more likely to achieve whatever you set out to do.