Plan for What Might Go Wrong

Good planning includes anticipating what might go wrong and preparing responses. Contingency planning, risk awareness, and preparation for foreseeable difficulties are expected components of thorough planning. The phrase sonae areba urei nashi (“with preparation, no worry”) captures this orientation—with proper preparation, you need not worry because you have prepared for problems. Plans that assume everything will proceed smoothly are incomplete; they ignore the reality that things often do not proceed as hoped. Thorough planning is realistic, acknowledging uncertainty and preparing for unwanted but possible developments.