"Preparation is 80%, Execution is 20%": How to Plan Effectively

"Preparation is 80%, execution is 20%" means that whether a job succeeds or fails is 80% determined by the preparation; in other words, 80% of the work is already finished before you even start, and the remaining 20% is the actual execution.

Similar expressions include Sun Tzu's "Victory is decided before the battle begins," as well as the proverbs "Better safe than sorry" and "Look before you leap."

<Improve Your Planning Skills>

As shown, prior preparation is a crucial factor in determining the success or failure of any endeavor.

Improving your planning skills creates both time and mental breathing room, allows you to be more attentive to those around you, and enables you to respond flexibly to unexpected events.

This also leads to predicting potential problems and helps you develop the ability to look ahead.
I have written about the importance of looking ahead in past articles, so please take a look if you are interested.

Furthermore, you will become better at managing your time, which will likely reduce overtime and lead to a more fulfilling personal life.

<How to Plan>

I will introduce the actual method for planning in the order of operations.

(1. Clarify the objective)

First, clarify your objective and goal.
If "what, by when, to what extent, and for whom you are working" is vague, you may not know where to start, or you may end up wasting effort along the way.

(2. Grasp the current situation)

Next, grasp the current situation.
Unless you confirm the current circumstances, your countermeasures will not be effective.

(3. List necessary tasks)

List everything you can think of that needs to be done to get a full picture.
It works best if you break things down into small, manageable parts.
Once finished, check again to ensure nothing has been missed.

(4. Prioritize and determine the order)

By deciding "what to do first" and "what to put off," you can reduce wasted movement and rework.
Please refer to my previous article on how to set priorities.

(5. Incorporate into a schedule)

Once these are decided, create a schedule for what to do and by when.
It is best to build in some buffer time so you can handle the unexpected.

(6. Reflection)

Once you finish, reflect on what went well, what went poorly, and what was a waste of time.
This is to make things easier to handle next time.

<Tips for Effective Planning>

1. Thinking about your goals concretely makes it easier to visualize what needs to be done.
Deciding how far to take a task also prevents the waste of overdoing it.

2. Breaking down tasks into as much detail as possible will help the work proceed smoothly.

3. When deciding the order of tasks, it is best to group similar activities together.
Also, scheduling important tasks for the morning, when your concentration is at its peak, will increase efficiency.

4. When necessary, use tools or ask others for help.

<Summary>

Planning ability is not an innate talent.
You simply need to practice the “planned thinking”that involves systematically considering and proceeding with the points mentioned above.

By working efficiently, the trust you receive from those around you will surely continue to grow.

Thank you for reading. I would appreciate it if you could like and follow. I look forward to your continued support.

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