3 Reasons You Should Not Make a Backup Plan
While having a conversation with Asish Mohapatra, Co-Founder and CEO of OFBusiness, we spoke about the impacts of backup plans. He has backed two unicorn startups in India. So, his entrepreneurial journey provided a valuable perspective on the subject.
All our lives, we are taught how we must have a backup plan for emergencies. And I agree, it is an excellent quality. We should be prepared for the worst.
However, in some cases, having a plan B can backfire. Whether you are planning to venture into business or start your career, you need to believe in your chosen path. Your backup plan can prove to be counterproductive in these cases.
Here are 3 reasons you should not have a backup plan.
1. Makes you feel it is okay to fail
A backup plan can make you feel like failing is okay. You make a backup plan because you need something to fall back on if your primary goal fails. This undermines the value of your plan A.
It diminishes your faith in your goal. When you do not have the safety net of plan B, plan A becomes your ride-or-die. If you fail, there is nothing to save you. This makes you realize the repercussions of failure are very real. It can set you back. So, you put in all your effort in order to succeed.
2. You settle for less
We often settle for less to prevent the emotional duress that usually accompanies failure. Backup plans typically have less risk, and they are easier to achieve. However, they are also less rewarding.
Every time we fail to achieve our goals and go for the next best thing, we settle for less. Then it becomes a habit. We get accustomed to comfortable plans and develop a fear of taking risks. This can cause the demise of most aspirations.
3. You lose focus
Having a plan B can affect your focus. When you know you have to succeed, you tend to work with a single-minded focus to achieve your goals. With another easier goal lurking in the background, you can find yourself losing focus quickly.
When pursuing your primary goals, you may face many obstacles. A backup plan will let you back away from your objectives as soon as you hit the first obstacle. Not having any backup plan means you will have to find ways to overcome the hurdles.
When you try to perfect two plans at once, you will end up doing a mediocre job at both. It takes time and attention away from your main goal.
As with most things in life, backup plans have pros and cons. We are usually quite vocal about its positive impacts. So, I had to share the flip side of the coin. At the end of the day, focusing on your goals is most important. Whichever method helps you devote yourself to your purpose completely, follow that.
Do you like making backup plans? Let me know in the comments. And listen to my podcast for more such content.
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