Lesson from Improv Comedy: Planning vs. Procrastination
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As an improv comedy director and performer, I am a strong proponent of jumping in and pushing forward without knowing exactly where I am going. This may seem like I don't plan, but that's not the case. The plan is well in place before I start. I know my end-point and goal (to entertain the audience), my resources (my fellow performers) and my starting point (the audience's suggestion). The rules of the game I am playing serve as the plan for how I will get from my starting point to my end point.
Planning is important and vital to success. Over-planning, or procrastinating disguised as planning, can be deadly to a business. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says the way to achieve your goals is to make your plan, identify the biggest limiting step, and then go about overcoming that limiting step. I think that's great, but unfortunately I think most people's biggest limiting step is that they never take the first step, regardless of if it's what they think is the biggest limitation!
Starting is a scary business. Sometimes it's just very comforting to have your dreams and never act on them, because the thought of trying for your dream and not getting it is scary. It can be more depressing to know that you can't have something than to be able to hope and dream that someday it will happen. Logically this is flawed thinking, because if you never try you're never going to get it anyway, but plenty of people think this way.
To avoid taking action, people over-plan. They refuse to start because every single detail has not been sorted out. They also get caught up in ‘analysis-paralysis.' They get so caught up in thinking analyzing the plan and situation that they get paralyzed and end up taking no action.
Over-planning is just another way of procrastinating. It allows you to put off doing what you are afraid to do. Don't get caught in this trap. Make your plan, but start acting on it as soon as possible.
Albert Einstein said, ‘Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler.' To paraphrase that, I say, ‘Plan as long as necessary, but no longer.'
Avish Parashar is a dynamic professional speaker who shows organizations and individuals how to get what they want using the Art and Science of improv comedy. He weaves together humorous stories, witty observations, and interactive exercises from improvisational comedy to get people laughing, learning, and motivated! Avish is most commonly called upon to deliver programs on Motivation, Sales, and Communication
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To learn how to apply the powerful principles of improv comedy to your own business or life visit http://www.ImprovforEveryone.com
