Blueprints (plans) work great for constructing buildings, but no so great for constructing a life. There are too many variables. Planning is important, but we can’t possibly imagine everything that will happen. The way we imagine it, is different from the way it will be.

Our plans are based on limited information, produced by our imagination—a mixture of our knowledge of how the world works and how we want it to work. Adaptability is just as important as the ability to plan. The more variables there are, the more this is true.

Plan, but don’t obsess over it. Not only are many things not going to work according to your plans, but the desire to plan can lead to even more planning. In other words, changing the plan even when it doesn’t need to be changed.