The Matsushita Method of Long Range Planning

Photo by Springsun

I was doing some research on the founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita and found reference to an interview he once gave with a financial reporter.  The reporter asked Matsushita how far into the future he typically planned his businesses.  I was astonished to read that Matsushita replied he and his partners planned two hundred years into the future. 

He said that they would practice at envisioning the future, even two hundred years from now, and try to determine what that world would look like and what products those future peoples would want.

This geled with another concept I read a couple of days ago on Neurolinguistic Programming guru, Anthony Robbins who stated that most folks over-estimate what they can accomplish in one year, and under-estimate what they can accomplish in ten years.

What would happen if we took that approach?

Instead of getting all excited around New Year's, setting all these goals and resolutions that get broken within a few weeks of the New Year, what if we started a ten year plan right now, today, in the middle of the summer? 

Instead of losing thirty pounds in one year, can you do it in ten?  Isn't it more important for you to be trim as you age?

Instead of paying off all your debt in one year, can you do it in ten?  Isn't it more important for you to be debt free ten years from now?

For me, the two goals apply above to my ten year plan.  While we have no consumer debt, we have three mortgages on rental property that I would say we could pay off in ten years if we made a goal of it. 

My goal of writing and publishing a book in one year might be a tall order, with everything else going on, but having a few published in ten years isn't.

Extend your time-table and take some pressure off yourself.

Decide what you want your life to look like in ten years and start putting together a detailed plan of how to get there.  Don't wait five months till the new year.  Start now!