Plans A, Plan B, and . . . Plan Z
Video of Michael explaining the surprising power of having a Plan Z.
Especially with my entrepreneurial clients, I recommend having 3 plans.
- Plan A is what they want and what they are focused on.
- Plan B is an amendment to Plan A, taking account of the environment or market you find yourself in.
But here’s the one people often neglect.
- Plan Z means having a contingency for if everything goes wrong. It may include going back to live with mum or dad for a while, or getting a part time job to keep the proverbial wolf from the door. The idea is that with a safety net beneath us we are braver, less strained and have the freedom to walk away from less-than-perfect scenarios.
Why would anyone want a Plan Z?
At first I thought it was a negative way of thinking. However, in practice it’s turned out to be genuinely empowering. It removes a lot of imaginary pressure, so we can put all our focus on our own goals.
I don’t know of anyone who has yet to resort to plan Z.
That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t swear by it as a confidence-building tool.
(note: The original idea for Plans A, B & Z came from Reid Hoffman’s 2012 book The Start Up of You.)
The next section is a Success Quiz. It’s a quiz that indicates how to close we are to some of the characteristics that lead to success and fulfilment.
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NLP Plan Section Index
1: Why plan?
2: Self sabotage
3: Plans A, B & Z
4: Success Quiz
5: Time, energy and focus
6: End goals, milestones and focus
7: Feedforward
8: Planning and review questions
9: Daily questions
10: Summary

