Besides, I want to remain nimble. You never know what can happen! I want to be able to react and change my mind if need be. I don't want to be forced to follow a plan ... that was prepared, “out of context”, weeks or months in the past.

Nothing can equal the adrenalin rush you get when things are slipping out of control ... and you somehow manage to bring them back on track. Right? So why plan, if you can get away with it so ... easily?

What's fundamentally wrong with the preceding statements?

Going into business without a plan, is deciding to play it by ear. It is choosing to steadfastly remain in a pure reactive mode. It is deciding, beforehand, to let events push you around!

Let's find out what neglecting to plan really means by illustrating things a bit.

No commercial aircraft can takeoff without a flight plan. At least, not legally! The entire trip, from takeoff to landing, must be planned in detail.

Alternate airports must be identified in advance, in case it becomes impossible to land at the destination airport. Fuel must be planned for each leg, alternate routes included. Flight levels and radio frequencies must be predetermined for each air traffic control area overflown. Weather systems en route, their movement and strength, upper winds and temperatures, must be all taken into account.

The list of things that have to be considered before a commercial flight is mind boggling ... until you make sense of it all with a proper flight plan.

Taking the above into consideration, would you, willingly, board a commercial flight, knowing that the pilot would takeoff ... without a flight plan. It would be foolish ... and dangerous to do so, don't you think?

No commercial ship sails without a plan. Would you go for a cruise across the ocean on a ship whose captain would decide everything on the spur of the moment? If yes, then you, obviously, have never experienced a storm on the high seas! How about a ship wreck on known ... but ignored reefs?

No armed forces would consider going into battle without a plan ... and intensive training to boot! It would be sheer suicide otherwise.

No responsible surgeon would ever undertake an operation without a plan, even after years of tightly supervised internship and training. Would you, knowingly, trust him or her with your life, if they did? Even military surgeons, operating under battlefield conditions, have a plan ready to put into action for a any given battle injury.

Are you an aspiring small business entrepreneur preparing to go into “business battle” ... without a plan?

If you are, you are planning to fail. Period.

Oh, well! At least, your competition will be happy! You will have neatly played into their hands!

This is Your Unique Moment (YUM)! Plan it well and enjoy.