The Myth Of Good Times And Bad Times

In business, the idea of good times and bad is a myth. There are times that are bad, and there are times to prepare for bad times. It’s not to say we can’t experience good times. We can and should stop to celebrate milestones and achievements. But, it pays to be realistic.

Two things happen in bad times. One is we have to figure out how to survive them. The other is to remember they’re the soil all things good grow out of. In bad times there are opportunities. For these, we plan.

A plan isn’t a crystal ball, but it is a map of the terrain and locations. When life throws us an obstruction, the map is how we either choose a new route or choose a new location. The map can’t predict the future, but we can use it to navigate.

Our job isn’t to predict, it’s to be aware of the options and make choices. Good times and bad times, good trips and bad trips, we’ll encounter them all. No need for a crystal ball, no need to predict every outcome.

All we need is a map and the willingness to keep planning. Repeatable progress comes from the preparation, not the prediction.