How To Make Business Planning As Much Fun As Vacation Planning

For most entrepreneurs, plan is a four-letter word. Technically it's a four-letter word for everyone. But you know what I mean. I'm referring to the stigma associated with planning that has caused it to earn a reputation as a 'bad' word. Is planning in general distasteful or only certain types? Let's think about it for a moment.

?Planning for a vacation is fun. It involves picturing yourself in a place that you want to be, doing fun and relaxing things. No worry, no stress, no strain.

?Planning for the arrival of a baby is fun. There's shopping for all the sweet and adorable baby gadgets and choosing the colors for the nursery.

?Planning for a wedding is fun - as long as the bride is getting what she wants.

But mention business planning to most entrepreneurs and they are likely to react as though they have just learned that they need double root canals. In fact, given the option, most would likely choose the dentist's chair without Novocain over writing a business plan.

What is at the root (pardon the pun) of this aversion to business planning? Could it be that the phrase "business plan" brings up an image like the following?

A man, who looks like somebody's grandfather, in a blue suit and red tie peering over his glasses as he tells you that you aren't getting the financing you need.

Translation: business plans are hard to write, they are boring, they are overwhelming, scary, time-consuming and make you vulnerable.

Yeah, that is definitely some intimidating stuff and the regrettable result of many people's experience when seeking financing for their venture. However, this is only one type of business plan and the unfortunate consequence is that business planning in general has been unduly tarnished by such experiences.

What if you could think differently about business planning? What if it could be fun? Stop laughing, I'm serious! What if planning for your business could be as much fun as:

?Planning for a vacation, where the ultimate destination is a business that allows you to be doing exactly what you love doing and is fun and fulfilling, or

?Planning for the arrival of a baby, where you are the parent birthing a business that can only be brought to life by you and your unique vision for it, or

?Planning for a wedding, where you get to be the bride and structure everything exactly the way you want it.

I believe that is precisely what planning for you business should be like. It should be fun, exciting and rewarding. And it can be, all it takes is a shift in perception. I suggest you begin to cultivate an outlook on business planning that includes a conscious decision to think of it as the process of designing your success. And success is definitely not a four-letter word.