More on the 5 P’s – PPPPP

Yesterday, in my blog post: Goal Setting – In Theory And In Practice – Business Planning, I mentioned the 5 P’s:

– Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance = PPPPP

One of the things which I like about the abbreviation PPPPP is that it is easy to remember as well as distinctive.

Forming new habits can take time, so recalling the five P’s on a regular basis will make it easier to embed the concept into your psyche.

So, why is proper planning so important? Am I suggesting being perfectionistic?

Perfectionism is basically a thought disorder, one of the effects of which is to cause problems in your life; so no, I am not advocating becoming a perfectionist. The simple truth is, that if you fail to plan, you are basically planning to fail. You may have come across the business concept that if something is measured it is much more likely to improve – the same applies to time management and planning.

Over the years I have come across another variant of the five P’s; which is the seven P’s! This was in context of British SAS (Special Air Service) training (and no, I was not the recipient of, nor a provider of, their training). The SAS are an elite military force at the pinnacle of their profession. We can learn a lot from their example. In their case, the seven P’s denoted: Proper Planning & Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. PPPPPPP.

I guess if this principle is good enough for the SAS, then it should be more than good enough for the rest of us.

In short, the SAS plan their operations meticulously — at times even building models; both miniature and full size, of target areas. Proper planning & preparation is a key ingredient in their success. The SAS are not perfectionists, but they are ‘elitists’ in the sense that they perform at an elite level in their thinking, planning and execution (excuse the pun!).

This raises a question — if what we’re doing is really worthwhile, then shouldn’t WE be performing at an elite level in our particular fields? Why settle for the dim grey twilight of a half-hearted existence?

Related posts:

1. Goal Setting – In Theory And In Practice – Business Planning
2. The importance of looking at things from different angles.
3. Goal Setting – Putting Motivation Into Perspective
4. Optimizing Your Time For Better Time Management
5. Things will get worse! And why you need clear vision.