The dilemma faced by turkeys
One of my favorite authors of all time, Nassim Taleb makes some funny observations about the turkey with regard to how humans plan for the future. Taleb does not believe in rigid plans that are inherently fragile and prone to being shattered–along with your motivation and ability to follow them.
Part of the problem with planning for the future is that we don’t know what the future is and there is the easy danger of assuming that because things have always been one way, that will continue. Consider that for nearly a century prior to 9/11 planes had not been used as human-flown missiles to destroy skyscrapers, but that all changed on September 11th, 2001.
“Consider a turkey that is fed every day... Every single feeding will firm up the bird’s belief that it is the general rule of life to be fed every day by friendly members of the human race ‘looking out for its best interests,’ as a politician would say. On the afternoon of the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, something unexpected will happen to the turkey. It will incur a revision of belief.”
It was all going well. Until it wasn’t.
If you prepare for anything, prepared for being flexible and agile.
The turkey is a burden-bound bird with little consideration for the future.