The feeling of control.

You know what I’ve noticed? Nobody panics when things go “according to plan.” Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it’s all “part of the plan”.

— The Joker in The Dark Knight.

I’ve had this idea regarding plans for a very long time, and especially on a personal level. Because however much we have to do, if it’s planned it feels doable. It’s when we don’t stick to the plan that things start to derail properly.

Planning is hard, but it’s essential to most people. Mainly, I think, from a feeling of being in control perspective. People love feeling like they know what’s going to happen. It’s hard trying to establish that kind of control, but the feeling is nevertheless important.

And it’s at the core of everyones personal structure. We don’t know what’s going to happen next Friday, but planning and writing things up in our calendar makes us more calm. Having nothing in there, still planning for a meeting introduces a bit of uncertainty, which is a feeling we’re not too used to anymore.

Find the right balance there, and rely on your structure. But also realise that there’s no safeguard, no guarantees of your plan coming through. There are only probabilities, and the sooner we realise that, the easier things will be.