Certainty beyond the first encounter?

Are you perfect? Does everything you set out to achieve work out? Does nothing ever go wrong in your life? All good questions to ask oneself from time to time. Life has a way of righting wrongs, and wronging rights as well I think, and just when we're feeling on top of the world it can come along to give us an adjustment.

I watched saw an interview with the ex-boxer Mike Tyson last night who seems to have shed his former bad-boy attitude and persona to settle down with his wife (third wife) and family. He won his title when he was 20 years old, in 1986, and amassed an income of $300,000,000 all of which he lost. He fell into debt, was bankrupt for 15 years and was in and out of trouble (prison in fact) as well. It's been well-documented.

What I didn't know was that he was actually arrested 36 times prior to turning 13 years of age and was on-track towards a life of crime and probably an early grave or life in prison prior to boxing. Anyway, I was impressed with his dialogue, choice of words and calm demeanour in the interview and to me it seemed like he had brought his life together after many troublesome years. It also reminded me of a quote he made some time ago which I always liked.

"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face." - Mike Tyson

The quote can be taken literally of course, and has great meaning if spun that way. I'm not sure how many of you have been punched in the face but if you have, or not, you'll know what I'm getting at. Once that punch comes in things tend to get out of control. All your good intentions of avoiding a confrontation, or engaging in one, change to...Well, whatever the hell your brain dictates. Generally it's the fight or flight mechanism built into each human being. But that's not what I'm relating to in this post, the more literal interpretation of the phrase; Im referring to the metaphorical.

You see, we all have plans in life, as children , adolescents and adults. They tend to be more sophisticated the older we get and have more meaning of course, but essentially they are all plans. The problem is that life often has plans of its own, or at least, the plans we make are blocked, derailed, shifted and vetoed by circumstances outside of our control. It's inevitable and whilst it may not happen every time it's certain to at some stage.

That's why it's important to think broadly about our plans (goals could be supplanted for plans here) and have accompanying strategies, contingencies and alternatives prepared, or at the very least be prepared to adapt and overcome unforeseen and unexpected obstacles. Better still, plan for them ahead of time.

The Mike Tyson phrase is not one I use to be honest, although I use a similar, more military-oriented version all the time. "No plan survives contact with the enemy" is how it goes and it breaks down to the same thing essentially.

When applied to life both phrases are very similar. I think the key take-aways are:

• Have a plan. The phrases themselves don't suggest it, they actually assume it!
• Consider the unforseen, the obstacles and challenges.
• Understand that even the best-laid plans can (often will) go awry.
• Accept that your plan may get punched in the face and be prepared (Adapt, overcome).
• Build contingencies into your plan and alternative plans.
• Set objectives, secondary objectives and baseline objectives
• Take ownership of success and celebrate it...But also take ownership of failures and learn from them.

Those are the main points I think of when I read either the Tyson phrase, or the contact with the enemy phrase which actually is derived from writings by Helmuth van Moltke, a nineteenth-century Prussian military commander. In 1880 he wrote, “No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main force.”

I understand most people's life isn't a boxing match or a military operation however it can still be positively impacted by planning, goal setting and ownership; I'm pretty sure most people are interested in an amazing life rather than one of disappointment, mediocrity, failure and so why wouldn't people set their feet on the path's required to achieve it?

By taking the time to plan (goal-set) and consider challenges one can affect their life in positive ways. Add in contingency-planning and a tiered set of ideal-conclusions and a person can be well on their way towards improving their life.

I don't know what strategies Mike Tyson employed to clean up his act although it seemed to work; At least that's what I saw in the interview. He lives outside of Las Vegas in a nice, but surprisingly modest (by his standards), home with his wife and children. He seems to be a doting father and appreciative and giving husband and avoids the Las Vegas life he previously valued. To me it looked like someone who had set goals, had knock-backs and challenges, re-set, overcame and adapted to situations life threw at him or he created by his own actions. He seemed to have it all together, at least outwardly.

I think it's a good lesson for everyone to learn and apply to life although I'm also certain some will disagree preferring to allow some "higher power" to dictate their life, putting their faith in hope and wishes, or even simply let it all slip on by with no plan or input of their own. I guess it all comes down to what a person wants out of life and whether they have the discipline, ownership and responsibility to make their life more valuable for themselves.

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