Don't Leave It To Fate-Strategise

George Chingarande | Monday February 3, 2014 15:56

once listened to a radio phone-in programme where the presenter invited his listeners to call and answer one simple question. The question was, 'What is your agenda for the day?' There were many callers and the answers were as varied as the callers themselves. Some of the answers that caught my attention were: 'My agenda is to have a good day; my agenda is to be successful at what I do; my agenda is to prepare for tomorrow and my agenda is to be a good person.' The more I listened to these answers the more bewildered and bemused I got. I wondered to myself what answers the presenter would have got if he had asked the question differently and said, 'What is your agenda for the year, or what is the agenda of your life?' All the answers that the presenter got that day were too general and too ambiguous; and that is the main reason behind the failure of most well meaning intelligent people. In this issue we will explore two simple but very important issues. These are agenda and strategy.

By definition an agenda is a list of things, actions or programmes to be done or considered. An agenda is therefore specific. Without a list there is no agenda; and a life spent without a 'to do' list is a life almost wasted. 'A to do' list not acted upon is a mere waste of time and emotion. On the other hand a strategy is defined as 'a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal or objective.' An agenda is therefore supposed to be a list of actions to be taken as part of a careful plan to achieve a particular goal in life. The list will invariably carry very specific s. Why are strategies and agenda important for both organisations and individuals?

The essence of life is winning. Life is one perpetual pursuance to acquire things be they material or intangible. Life is therefore about winning, and winning specific things such as promotions at work, influence in a community, business contracts, legal battles, spouses and material things such as real estate and vehicles. Winning requires a winning strategy; and a winning strategy is not complete without a well spelt out but simple agenda.

In the Book of Five Rings the great warrior Miyamoto Musashi asserts that, 'The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, by whatever means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's sword you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of striking the enemy, or parrying, or springing or touching the enemy you will not be able to actually cut him.' This statement is loaded with nuggets of wisdom. First, it tells us that there must be a primary thing behind every action. What is your primary thing in 2014. If you do not have a primary pursuit for the year, you have made an inauspicious beginning to the year. Second, there must be an intention. Musashi spoke of an 'intention to cut the enemy.' A winning life is only that life that has been lived intentionally. Winning consistently cannot be achieved accidentally. One might get fluke results from time to time; but a winning life is founded on the bedrock of intentionality. Winners simply live their lives intentionally and purposefully. Third, Musashi teaches that all actions should be directed towards achieving this one aim. Put differently, winners do not act just for the sake of acting or for fulfilling motions. They act so as to win. The world is full of wasted actions; actions that merely pass time. Musashi also talks about 'taking a sword'. Swords are weapons, tools used in a war. They are necessary resources, and you need to know what these resources are for. Similarly in life you will have access to resources; And you need to know what these resources are for.

As we enter into the second month of the year there are a few questions we urge you to seriously consider. These are: What is the primary thing that I am seeking after this year? What resources am I going to deploy towards this pursuit? What actions am I going to take? What is my agenda list? What will winning look like after I am done?

All these questions are helpful and good to find answers to. However, there is one big one which should underpin all these questions. Where or what is the battle ground? The battle ground determines the battle to be fought. Let us simplify this. In the market place not every market segment is worth fighting for. In the workplace, not every position is worth competing for. In the field of relationships, not every person of the opposite sex is worth pursuing after. Winners have very well defined and well delineated battle grounds. Contesting for every space in life is a sure way of setting oneself up for monumental failure. The people that try to do too much; often suffer the ignominy of achieving too little. What are your battle grounds for 2014; and are they worth fighting for? Not all battles are worth fighting, and not all battle grounds are worth fighting in.

Finally, there is one question you should never leave in the hands of fate. That question is 'HOW?' Going out every day with a life loaded with hope and expectation only is neither courage nor wisdom nor strategy. Let miracles, surprises, fate and everything else find you working on a plan of how you intend to achieve your primary pursuit.

There were many callers and the answers were as varied as the callers themselves. Some of the answers that caught my attention were: 'My agenda is to have a good day; my agenda is to be successful at what I do; my agenda is to prepare for tomorrow and my agenda is to be a good person.' The more I listened to these answers the more bewildered and bemused I got.

I wondered to myself what answers the presenter would have got if he had asked the question differently and said, 'What is your agenda for the year, or what is the agenda of your life?' All the answers that the presenter got that day were too general and too ambiguous; and that is the main reason behind the failure of most well meaning intelligent people. In this issue we will explore two simple but very important issues. These are agenda and strategy.By definition an agenda is a list of things, actions or programmes to be done or considered. An agenda is therefore specific. Without a list there is no agenda; and a life spent without a 'to do' list is a life almost wasted. 'A to do' list not acted upon is a mere waste of time and emotion.

On the other hand a strategy is defined as 'a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal or objective.' An agenda is therefore supposed to be a list of actions to be taken as part of a careful plan to achieve a particular goal in life. The list will invariably carry very specific items. Why are strategies and agenda important for both organisations and individuals? The essence of life is winning. Life is one perpetual pursuance to acquire things be they material or intangible. Life is therefore about winning, and winning specific things such as promotions at work, influence in a community, business contracts, legal battles, spouses and material things such as real estate and vehicles. Winning requires a winning strategy; and a winning strategy is not complete without a well spelt out but simple agenda.In the Book of Five Rings the great warrior Miyamoto Musashi asserts that, 'The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, by whatever means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's sword you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of striking the enemy, or parrying, or springing or touching the enemy you will not be able to actually cut him.' This statement is loaded with nuggets of wisdom.

First, it tells us that there must be a primary thing behind every action. What is your primary thing in 2014. If you do not have a primary pursuit for the year, you have made an inauspicious beginning to the year. Second, there must be an intention. Musashi spoke of an 'intention to cut the enemy.' A winning life is only that life that has been lived intentionally. Winning consistently cannot be achieved accidentally. One might get fluke results from time to time; but a winning life is founded on the bedrock of intentionality. Winners simply live their lives intentionally and purposefully. Third, Musashi teaches that all actions should be directed towards achieving this one aim. Put differently, winners do not act just for the sake of acting or for fulfilling motions. They act so as to win. The world is full of wasted actions; actions that merely pass time. Musashi also talks about 'taking a sword'. Swords are weapons, tools used in a war.

They are necessary resources, and you need to know what these resources are for. Similarly in life you will have access to resources; And you need to know what these resources are for.As we enter into the second month of the year there are a few questions we urge you to seriously consider. These are: What is the primary thing that I am seeking after this year? What resources am I going to deploy towards this pursuit? What actions am I going to take? What is my agenda list? What will winning look like after I am done?All these questions are helpful and good to find answers to. However, there is one big one which should underpin all these questions. Where or what is the battle ground? The battle ground determines the battle to be fought. Let us simplify this. In the market place not every market segment is worth fighting for. In the workplace, not every position is worth competing for. In the field of relationships, not every person of the opposite sex is worth pursuing after. Winners have very well defined and well delineated battle grounds. Contesting for every space in life is a sure way of setting oneself up for monumental failure.

The people that try to do too much; often suffer the ignominy of achieving too little. What are your battle grounds for 2014; and are they worth fighting for? Not all battles are worth fighting, and not all battle grounds are worth fighting in.Finally, there is one question you should never leave in the hands of fate. That question is 'HOW?' Going out every day with a life loaded with hope and expectation only is neither courage nor wisdom nor strategy. Let miracles, surprises, fate and everything else find you working on a plan of how you intend to achieve your primary pursuit.