Planning delusion.

‘Planning delusion.'


Planning delusion we normally come across when people work together in the field of politics, business, or on science projects.


In such a case, a group tends to overestimate time duration and benefits and underestimate cost and risks.


So, the question arises why aren’t we natural-born planners?


One of the basic reasons could be ‘wishful thinking.'


What it means, we want to be successful and achieve the ultimate in everything we take on our hands.
Secondly, we become so much focused on the project that we tend to overlook other outside influences.

We tend to forget that unexpected events sometimes topple our plans.


Every morning, you prepare your ‘things-to-do list.’ How often does it happen with you that everything is ticked by the end of the day?


Does it happen always?


Or every other day?


Or once in a week?


Or like any other normal people you may achieve it once in a month.


What it shows? It shows that you systematically take on too much.


Put it more bluntly, your plans are absurdly ambitious.


If your plans fail, it is perfectly acceptable, if you are a total novice.


But, if you are preparing ‘your to-do list’ for years and you know your capabilities well.


It is unlikely that you overestimate them very fresh every other day.


You learn from your experience in other areas, so why there is no learning curve when it comes to planning?


Even though you realize that most of your previous endeavors were extremely optimistic, still you believe, with all serious note, today the same workload is eminently doable.


This is called planning delusion.