A new twist on business planning

I was talking to my graphic designer,Linda Anderson, yesterday and she said something that made me laugh and gave me the idea for this blog! Thank you Linda.

We were talking about how we could help each other in our businesses and I mentioned that if someone said to her “I feel like I have no control” or “I feel like I’m going in circles” they would be a good referral for me. She said “you know that reminds me that when I talk to people in my home state of South Dakota, where the economy is much better than here in Nevada, I tell them that our idea of a business or retirement plan in Nevada is to win the California Lottery or just plane old wishful thinking”.

Even though she was joking it made me wonder…Is this a new twist on business planning? Have people given up? Is this your plan?

Just in case it is…I did a little research for you on Google and found this…”The odds of winning the California Super Lotto Jackpot are 1 in 18 million. (1) … If one person purchases 50 Lotto tickets each week, they will win the jackpot about once every 5000 years. (4) … You Win? California State University, Hayward.”

I could not find any statistics on wishful thinking but my “gut” tells me the odds are not much better than winning the California Lottery.

I’m not saying DON’T buy a lottery ticket or have wishful thinking but I am saying DO have a solid back-up plan in place where you have control over the outcome.

Johanna

Tricia Greaves Nelson - August 8, 2012

I think buying lottery tickets, while sort of fun in the moment, is one of the surest ways to feel “out of control” of my life! Thank goodness for free enterprise and creativity, where we can always turn our “wishful thinking” into products and services that can prosper us and benefit others…a safer bet than the lottery any day! 🙂

Amethyst Wyldfyre - August 9, 2012

Ah Love! Do we really EVER have control over the outcome? Or do we only have control over how we choose to invest our time and energy – and thereby make a contribution to a likely outcome??? Control – at least in my life – has been an illusion that I have thought I had – and then discovered I very much didn’t – over outcomes – what I learned on the mat is the only control I have is over my own self – can I control my breathing, can I control my movements so that they are intentional, can I control what I am stretching and what I am resting? Outcomes??? Well if I don’t show up on the mat – the outcomes are nil – but if I do – sometimes the outcomes are a SIGNIFICANT surprise and delight!

Rebecca Skeele - August 9, 2012

I believe that the phrase ‘winning the lottery’ can point to a deeper despair. Kind of like gallows humor, it can cover up all manner of fears and feelings of being out of control. I would add to your good advice to have a back up business plan, Johanna, to take care of those underlying feelings as well. They can sometimes be our biggest obstacle!

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