Most entrepreneurs think exponential growth happens from a perfectly executed 5yr plan.

False! (Dwight Schrute reference J)

Your plan looks great on paper…

However, the biggest leaps almost never happen the way you expect.

FAMOUS CASE STUDY:

In 2005, three friends built a quirky little website for video dating.

The vision was to create a platform where people would upload short clips introducing themselves to potential dating matches, but something unexpected happened…

Instead of using the site for dating, users were uploading all kinds of random videos: pets doing tricks, funny moments, & how-to tutorials.

Rather than clinging to their original plan, the founders leaned in, pivoting to become a general video-sharing platform.

That failed dating site became YouTube, one of the most influential businesses on the planet.

A similar story played out for Play-Doh (originally created as a wall cleaner) and Slinky (created for stabilizing equipment on ships).

The original plan may have worked but it was when these founders were paying attention & pivoted that their company shifted into something else entirely and now they’re household names. 

Your Own Journey

Think back to 5 years ago…

What was your business like then?

What was life like then?

Could you have foreseen that you’d be where you are today 5yrs ago? What about 10yrs ago?

Odds are high that where you thought you’d be, what you thought you’d be doing, what you thought you would have accomplished, and how you thought you’d get there, are different than what transpired.

Plans are useful, but they’re rarely prophetic.

These companies didn’t have some genius foresight 5-10yrs into the future; what separated them was their willingness to pay attention.

Each founder noticed something they didn’t expect… and rather than forcing reality to match their plan, they pivoted toward what was actually working.

What about YOU?

Are you busy executing your plan, or are you present enough to see what’s developing in front of you?

Do you need to spend less time trying to be the architect of the perfect strategy…

Might feel irresponsible.

Might feel like leaving your business to chance.

It’s not.

I’m not saying throw out your plans…

I’m saying stop clinging so tightly to them and thinking the PLAN is what will take you from where you are in 2025 to where you THINK you want to be in 2030!

Key Takeaways:

• Have a direction, not a script.

Make plans, pick a direction but don’t fall in love with them. Stay flexible!

• Create enough space to see new possibilities.

If you’re always running 100mph, the opportunities that could lead to your next big leap will only look like a blur in your peripheral vision. Slow down. Space is the soil where miracles occur.

• Courageously pivot when unexpected opportunities emerge.

The “leap” you’re hoping for rarely shows up at your doorstep how you envisioned it; be willing to say “yes” to these opportunities when they present themselves.

What if your next breakthrough didn’t require a better, more meticulous plan but simply the courage to notice what’s in front of you?