Always have a backup plan. When I was a kid, I had a desire to be a professional musician. While that was a good idea, I received advice to have a backup plan. Ever since, I’ve developed backup plans for any action I take.
I can see where some people may believe that developing a backup plan may be saying it’s OK to fail, or not reach your original goal. However, people that are truly set out to succeed will do so in the smartest way possible.
A backup plan isn’t a way to get you out of trouble. Instead, it is planning a new path to the same goal when your original path is blocked. Without a backup plan, you could stand on your original path for months trying to figure out how to get around the roadblock — meanwhile your idea is being executed by someone else.
In your club you run across situations daily that may cause you to need a backup plan. Say you need five personal trainers to kick off your PT program. You could interview five people — just enough to fill the spots. Or, you could interview 15 people, enough to have the ability to select the best; and, if your PT program takes off like a rocket, you have already set yourself up to hire more trainers very quickly.
Perceive your backup plan as the best possible way for you to succeed. By taking the short amount of time to develop backup plans, you’ll save yourself a lot time, trouble and a massive headache down the road — plus, you’re setting yourself up for success.
My backup plan has put me in the position to be the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. I still play music part time, but until I can get my hair to do the Bieber and write a Top-40 song, I’m enjoying the success of my backup plan.
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
