For Americans a plan is an approach, a way to proceed. A good plan guides people who are collaborating. A good plan keeps them on a path towards a target.
someplace else
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra
The term Yogi-isms was created to describe Berra’s malapropisms and unintentional witticism. But they’re not just for laughs. As simple as the above statement is, nothing is more true.
don’t need a dream
“I ain’t Martin Luther King. I don’t need a dream. I have a plan.” – Spike Lee
Purposes of a plan (USA)
A plan is a systematic and organized approach to achieving specific goals or objectives. In the United States, plans are used in a variety of contexts, including business, government, and non-profit organizations. Some of the main purposes of a plan might include:
- Setting goals: A plan can help identify the specific goals or objectives that an organization or individual wants to achieve. This can provide a clear direction and focus for efforts, and allow for better decision-making and resource allocation.
- Organizing resources: A plan can help identify and organize the resources that will be needed to achieve the goals or objectives. This might include personnel, materials, equipment, and financial resources.
- Coordinating activities: A plan can help coordinate the activities and efforts of different individuals or groups, ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goals in a coordinated and efficient manner.
- Managing risks: A plan
Source: ChatGPT. Question: For Americans what is the purpose of a plan?
Definition of Plan
MerriamWebster online states four definitions for the term plan. Duden, the famous German dictionary, offers almost the exact same definitions. We’re interested in the second definition: “a detailed formulation of a program of action.”
1. A drawing or diagram drawn on a plane: such as a top or horizontal view of an object, a large-scale map of a small area.
2. A method for achieving an end, an often customary method of doing something, a detailed formulation of a program of action.
3. An orderly arrangement of parts of an overall design or objective.
4. A detailed program (as for payment or the provision of some service), i.e. pension plan.
Fail a lot
“If you take on a lot, you can also fail a lot.” Mark Twain (1835-1910)
“First weigh, then wager.”
A German figure of speech: “Erst wiegs, dann wags.” Translation: First weigh, then wager.
preparing to fail
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Franklin collected many aphorisms in his Old Farmer’s Almanac. Freeing a country from under the powerful arm of a great power is going to take some planning, which Franklin knew was the first step towards success.
a form of planning
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” – Gloria Steinem
sharpening the axe
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
No president had to face as great a challenge as Abraham Lincoln. Never neglect the time and effort necessary for due diligence before action.