A few years ago, I was on a plane with my sister, waiting for it to take off. The pilot's voice boomed throughout the plane: “Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Our engines don't work. We are going to jump-start them. Once we get them going, we'll get up in the air and see what happens.”
That was all he said. “See what happens?” Shouldn't we have had a better plan than that?!
At that point, I could only laugh nervously. One woman started crying: “Oh no! We are going to crash!” There were sighs of desperation and anxiety, and we hadn't even taken off yet.
The pilot even seemed frustrated. He told us our one engine was working double time, and his plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air, and what happened? Nothing. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched down than applause burst out as everyone on the airplane breathed a sigh of relief.
While I do prefer planning better than the quote “see what happens” when it comes to flying, it really isn't such a bad strategy for life. All too often, people stop chasing their goals just because they don't have a guaranteed result. But success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is just get up in the air, and see what happens.
If your effort is to build a business, then get up in the air and see what happens! Don't give yourself all the reasons why you can't. Do not wait until you have everything you need. You never will!
If your goal is to start a friendship, say “Hello”, get up in the air and see what happens! The results could be very rewarding.
If your goal is to learn a new skill, get up in the air and see what happens! It might not be as difficult as you think. It could be fun!
When traveling, I hope that my pilot has a more detailed plan than “We will see what happens”. But in life, it isn't a bad strategy at all.