Forget 5-year plans. Just make today better.
Welcome to issue #009 of Unsubscribe. Each week, I send two essays that help you step off the default path to build a life you love, supported by work you enjoy. If you need support on your entrepreneurial journey, join our network of over 875 entrepreneurs. You’ll instantly access our group chat, weekly live Q&As, monthly workshops, and exclusive networking events.
A lot of people spend too much time planning.
Putting together daunting, complex 5-year plans that map out their perfect future. Complete with vision boards and detailed timelines.
I was that person once. I'd make plans that looked a decade into the future. I was convinced I could plan everything perfectly.
But reality never seemed to match my plans.
Even when I achieved the things I was hoping to achieve, the landscape had changed so drastically that my original goals didn’t even make much sense anymore.
So now I just focus on making today better than yesterday.
This focus works a lot like compound interest. If you improve one little thing each day, your life and business will be significantly better after 365 days. Does it need to be 1% better, like James Clear suggests in Atomic Habits? I don't know. I don't really care. What does 1% better mean anyway?
Just choose one thing and work to make it a little better.
When I started my business in 2019, I didn't have some big master strategy. I didn’t even know what the hell I was doing. I just tried to solve problems for my customers. Eventually, that led to over $10M in profit across six years.
The big problem with five-year plans is they assume you know what future "you" is going to want and care about. You don't. The person you'll become in five years will be totally different. You’ll have different values, different knowledge, and be in much different circumstances than today.
Plus, the world is changing dramatically. And fast. Six years ago, who would’ve predicted the pandemic or where we are with AI?
Go ahead and dream big dreams. Dreams are powerful. But instead of creating inflexible long-term plans, just do something better today.
"What's one small thing I can do better now?”
Maybe it's studying your competitors. Or networking with one important person. Or fixing some important, nagging problem in your business.
Do these things every day, and they compound into big change. But do it with the flexibility to adapt as you need to.
Throw away your 5-year plan. Just make today better than yesterday.
Repeat tomorrow.
If you enjoyed this read, the best compliment I could receive would be if you shared it with one person or restacked it.
If you want to join a network of 875+ entrepreneurs building profitable businesses that improve their lives, check out our Inner Circle membership. You’ll get access to our live group chat, weekly Q&A, monthly workshops, and in-person networking events worldwide.
Wanna make God Laugh? Tell him your future plans... And even if you're still hung up on the 5-year plan, trace the necessary steps back to what that will require today, right now - and then welcome the opportunity to witness it fall apart - dare yourself to fail.....
Yes- I love this! There are so many business books and coaches who try to complicate things. Keep it simple - do work that is important and improve each day- perfection!