Planning

My wife, Julia, likes to travel.

There was a time when she could throw a few things in a small backpack ten minutes before walking out the door for a five-day trip and have everything she needed.

That time was before I met her.

And though she speaks of it fondly, I have never witnessed such behavior.

Case in point: we're set to depart for the Super Epic - Super Pacific Road Trip in about a month, and she's already planning for every type of weather.

Mark my words, by the time we leave, she will have packed everything from a bikini & flip-flops to snow bibs & insulated boots.

"I might need it!" she'll say.

"Really? You need your rain gear, an extra rain jacket, two umbrellas, and an emergency parka?"

"I mean, there could be a light sprinkle or a downpour. You never know!"

Fair enough.

At least we're traveling in a pickup truck with plenty of room. Heck, she can bring dozens of raincoats if she wants.

There is, however, a fine line between planning and over-planning.

Case in point: real estate investing.

I have an interesting property on the market right now near Downtown Monroe. It's a 50's quadplex that, due to zoning changes, must be converted to a single-family residence. Nevertheless, it's a great opportunity, as evidenced by the back-to-back showings that started about ten minutes after I put it on the market.

We have multiple offers, one of which is from someone who's offered a substantial deposit and is prepared to close within a week. His agent has called me once to ask one question.

"Is the property still available?"

Meanwhile, another potential buyer has a thousand questions, and his agent has called or texted me at least a dozen times since yesterday.

"What if we asked the city to rezone it?"

"What if we made it a duplex?"

"What if we buy it and can't figure out how to make it a single-family home?"

"What if somebody builds another house on the lot beside it?"

"What if, what if, what if. . ."

I don't know if this guy is qualified to take on this project, but I do know this: trying to consider and plan for every possible scenario is planning him right out of the opportunity.

While he's still thinking about what will happen if he paints the outside blue instead of yellow, six other prospective buyers have submitted their offers.

Later today, one of them will have the contract, while Mr. Planner will find the opportunity has vanished.

Was all his planning necessary?

I don't know.

I have no idea about this guy's background or experience.

But I do know we often tell ourselves that we're planning when what we're actually doing is avoiding taking action.

Because as long as we're planning, we're not doing.

And as long as we're not doing, we can't fail.

For risk of failure, some will plan their entire lives away and never take action.

Me?

I'd rather get started and fail than fail to get started.

Even if that means stopping somewhere along the way to buy Julia another rain jacket.