We are destined to accomplish projects of peace, so that we may have a future full of hope. However, the success that should accompany these projects is the result of careful planning and excellent preparation. Although we are all born to gain visibility, it is crucial to have these travel companions. Zig Ziglar once said that to be a winner, you must plan for victory, prepare to win, and expect to win.

Indeed, failing to plan your life is preparing for failure, for nature abhors a vacuum. Proper planning increases the opportunities for success and helps avoid wasting time and energy on actions that have no importance or added value.

As you know, a train cannot leave the station without ensuring its final destination, the route it will take, the time required, and the weather forecast. The Eiffel Tower could not have been built without an architectural plan and preliminary tests.

Similarly, Lionel Messi, cited as one of the best football players in the world across all generations, did not win at least seven Ballon d’Ors by merely dreaming. The fruit of his brilliance was not due to luck or chance: he had to prepare intensively over several years.

Additionally, there are two instructive parables that perfectly illustrate this subject. The first describes the importance for a builder to first sit down and calculate the cost of his tower, so that after laying the foundations, he can finish it. The second tells of a king who, before going to war, first sits down to assess his forces and decide whether he is capable of winning the battle.

In short, a key element in the planning process is to sit down and think, considering both your current situation and your future aspirations. This allows you to evaluate the means necessary to achieve your goals, the resources to mobilize, and the associated costs. Companies apply this process when developing their strategic plans.

Likewise, the Creator of the Earth took stock before executing His creation plan. As human beings, we can draw inspiration from this to plan our lives and shine, using our time and managing our priorities effectively in the short, medium, and long term. Moreover, to shine, it is essential to be strategically positioned beforehand (with your gifts, talents, etc.).

Thus, we open ourselves up to the best opportunities that contribute to increasing our value and the success of our projects. To this end, if each of us can plan a routine two-hour trip, we should also plan even more for our long journey on Earth!

Furthermore, planning helps to better anticipate changes and adapt to the complex situations of life. In the 2021 film “King Richard,” Venus and Serena’s father wrote a detailed 78-page plan before they were born, outlining their training to prepare them to become professional tennis players.

This plan was successfully implemented because he gave himself the means to execute it, and both of his daughters went on to become world champions.

This example is inspiring and shows the power of planning to shine in your lane. Ultimately, a human being can be likened to an individual business that employs at least one person (themselves) and offers services/products to clients, including themselves.

In conclusion, well-thought-out planning is essential to achieving your earthly and divine destiny, as it allows you to be more intentional in your actions and optimize your results for long-term success, helping you avoid being overwhelmed by events and enabling you to adapt to complex situations.

This text is an excerpt from the book DESTINED TO SHINE written by Nadia KPONDJO.

We invite you to read the following article, “What is Ingenious Planning?”