In Indian contexts, plans are understood as providing direction toward goals rather than specifying exactly what will happen. The plan establishes where you want to go and the general approach; the path involves navigation that cannot be fully specified in advance.
This is realistic about complexity and uncertainty—circumstances will arise that cannot be anticipated, conditions will differ from assumptions, opportunities and obstacles will emerge. Plans provide compass heading, not step-by-step instructions.
This doesn’t make plans less valuable; direction is necessary for coordinated purposeful action. But success is measured by reaching goals (possibly through different paths than planned) rather than by executing exactly as specified. Understand that Indian planning appropriately operates at different precision levels depending on context—some activities require detailed specification, others work better with broader direction. Knowing what level of specificity is appropriate is planning competence.
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