Is it even worth planning anything at the moment?

"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

I was on a call with a client today who asked whether it was even worth doing any planning at the moment.

With the amount of uncertainty going around right now, plans made yesterday are useless today, because things are changing so quickly all of the time.

Plans might therefore be far less useful these days than they used to be, but the structured mental process of creating those plans has never been more essential for individuals and organisations.

Creatively brainstorming options and carefully considering the long-term effects of actions creates mental agility and cognitive dexterity in the minds of those that do it often enough.

Getting into the habit of doing this as a team, or on your own, is a great way to stay future-fit and nimble enough to see opportunity where others don't. It can literally serve as a tool to keep you positive and hopeful for the future.

Even if the results of your planning process don't result in anything actionable, the activity of doing planning trains the mind to see things more holistically, and welcome the unfolding of possibility from the unknown.

So even if it's in the wrong direction, just keep planning; it's definitely not a waste of your time.