Planned Happenstance
Planned Happenstance: Random Actions to Maximize Life's Expected Value
How meticulously do you plan your life? Your career path five years from now, your ideal lifestyle, the goals you must achieve... Many people in society preach that a clear plan is the road to success. But I hold a slightly different view. I believe that intentionally incorporating "chance" into your plansโin other words, "Planned Happenstance"โis what actually maximizes life's potential, or its "expected value," so to speak.
What Changes Life: Plans or Chance?
Think about it for a moment. What events have truly had a major impact on your life? Was it something you achieved exactly according to plan through sheer hard work? Of course, that's a wonderful accomplishment. However, isn't it often the case that life is dramatically changed by unexpected encounters, sudden inspirations, or chance discoveriesโthings that feel more like "miracles" or "fate"?
Looking back on my own experiences, the growth obtained through diligent, planned effort pales in comparison to the way chance encounters at events I happened to attend, a book I randomly picked up, or discoveries made walking down an unfamiliar street out of whim have significantly altered the course of my life afterward.
Admittedly, such chance occurrences themselves might not significantly enhance my abilities, but in terms of their impact on life, they can be far greater than planned efforts. Just one fateful encounter can change our future by 180 degrees.
Considering this, the change brought about by diligently following a plan might actually be minuscule compared to the change brought by chance events that can shake up our lives.
The Trap of Planning: What We Lose for Efficiency
Of course, having a plan isn't inherently bad. Setting goals and striving towards them gives us daily direction and propels us forward. The problem lies in adhering too rigidly to the plan.
When plans are meticulous and schedules are packed, we tend to focus solely on achieving the goal, falling into a kind of "blindness." Even if a wonderful opportunity that could change our livesโa seed of a miracleโis right in front of us, we might not even notice it, being preoccupied with executing the plan. In the pursuit of efficiency, we try to thoroughly eliminate seemingly inefficient "detours" or "waste."
However, I believe that life's breakthroughs are often hidden within those very "detours" and "wastes."
The "Planned Happenstance" Approach
Therefore, I want to propose the idea of "Planned Happenstance." This isn't about passively waiting for chance; it's an approach to maximize life's expected value by intentionally incorporating "randomness" into life's plans.
You might think, "Aren't random actions just a waste of time?" Indeed, trying new things or diving into unfamiliar places often doesn't lead immediately to tangible results. It might look like a "wasted effort" in the short term.
But consider this: what if among 100 "wasted efforts," there's just one "jackpot" (a miracle) that fundamentally changes your life? From a long-term perspective, wouldn't you say that due to the potential magnitude of the return, the expected value of "random actions" is extremely high?
How to Practice Planned Happenstance?
So, how can you actually do this? Here are the three things I practice:
- Understand the Value of Happenstance: First, adopt the mindset that "chance is what enriches life."
- Build "Buffers" into Plans: Avoid over-scheduling. Always secure temporal and mental leeway to respond to unexpected events. Intentionally create "time for the unknown."
- Take "Planned" Random Actions: For example, I've decided to "do something new at least once a week." This could be something small like taking a walk down a street I've never been on, watching a movie in a genre I usually don't, or entering a cafe I've never visited. These actions might not seem directly connected to my goals, but they act as "seed sowing" that can bring new perspectives and encounters.
Having a base plan or goals is wonderful. Without them, you wouldn't have a direction to channel what you gain from chance. However, the key is not to be bound by that plan, but to always incorporate an element of "play" that embraces unknown factors.
The Courage Not to Filter
Here's something I particularly want to emphasize: Do not filter happenstance.
If you apply filters like "This doesn't seem related to my career" or "This looks like a waste of time," you ultimately remain within the framework of your existing knowledge and experience. You won't encounter truly new discoveries or the kind of "miracles" that can change you.
It's okay if it seems wasteful. It's okay if you fail. In fact, it's precisely in those seemingly irrelevant and inefficient places that the diamonds in the rough that make life shine are often found. That's my conviction.
Conclusion: Happenstance is Fun
Life isn't only wonderful when it goes according to plan. Rather, I believe it becomes interesting and rich precisely because it's filled with unpredictable events and chance encounters. "Planned Happenstance" is a strategy not for fearing this unpredictability, but for actively embracing and enjoying it. It's the courage to carry a map (your plan) but occasionally step onto paths not marked on it.
By doing so, our lives will become even better. Don't trust yourself too much; sometimes, let luck play its part. If you do, I'm sure everything will work out fine.