13. Definitely plan your work
Some of us may think we’re too depressed, angry, or upset about certain problems right now to start on a new course of personal motivation. But Napoleon Hill instead that that’s the perfect time to learn one of life’s most unusual rules: “There is one unbeatable rule for the mastery of sorrows and disappointments, and that is the transmutation of those emotional frustrations through definitely planned work. Its is a rule which has no equal.”
Once we get the picture of who we want to be, “definitely planned work” is the next step on the path. Definitely planned work inspires the energy of purpose. Without it, we suffer from a weird kind of intention deficit disorder. We’re short on intention. We don’t know where we’re going or what we’re up to.
The primary idea was this: one hour of planning saves three hours of execution.
However, most of us don’t feel we have time for that hour of planning. We’re too busy cleaning up yesterday’s problems (that were caused by lack of planning). We don’t yet see that planning would be the most productive hour we spend. Instead, we wander unconsciously into the workplace and react to crises. (Again, most of which result from a failure to plan). A carefully planned meeting can take a third of the time that an unplanned free-for-all takes.
It is impossible to work with a definite sense of purpose and be depressed at the same time. Carefully planned work will motivated you to do more and worry less.
