The Illusion Of Control

in QC Community7 hours ago

As we grow older, we realize one thing, that planning is just a security blanket we use to calm our anxiety. Most of our plans never go as planned, life always has a different story written for us. This is obvious from the yearly resolution we write and the monthly and daily plans we make. However, we never stop making plans because we need something to show that we are working and that we have a vision, but in essence we never trust that everything we've penned down would be achievable.

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15 years ago after my college, I had everything penned down. How in five years I'll make a difference and live an independent life , probably married with children. Unfortunately, it's been 15 years and I've not achieved any of these, they keep falling into my every year resolution. Not because planning isn't important, but because we don't have control over everything we plan, they're just securities to guide the direction we take.

Realizing that we never actually had control is the moment adaptation begins. It opens us up to plan for the worst-case scenario and the slight possibility of what we've planned happening. Planning over the years with high hopes shattered the entire years of waiting and building. If I had realized that I never actually had control, I'd have made plan B, C, and D to prepare me for the worst scenario, helping me adapt between a win and a failed plan. In my opinion, planning only gives one the illusion of control, but the best adaptation strategy is realizing we never actually have control over what we planned.