"Un bon plan exécuté violemment maintenant vaut mieux qu'un plan parfait exécuté la semaine prochaine"

The core idea here is pretty straightforward: taking decisive action immediately is often better than waiting to get everything just right. It’s all about valuing momentum and progress over perfection and delay.

Historical context? This was famously said by General George S. Patton during World War II. Patton was known for his aggressive and bold strategies. He believed that quick, decisive action could create opportunities and disrupt the enemy's plans more effectively than waiting for the perfect moment. His approach reflected an understanding that in the chaos of war, timeliness could be more critical than meticulous planning.

Let's bring this to life with a real-world example. Think back to the tech world, say Apple in the early 2000s. When Steve Jobs was at the helm, Apple had a culture of quick execution. They didn’t wait for the perfect product. The original iPhone, for instance, was far from perfect. It lacked features like copy-paste, a good camera, or third-party apps. But they launched it anyway. It hit the market quickly and made a huge impact, changing the smartphone game forever. If Apple had waited to perfect it, they might have missed their window, allowing competitors to take the lead.

So, what can you take from this? When faced with decisions, especially ones that carry significant weight or urgency, don’t get paralyzed by the pursuit of perfection. Start with a strong plan and adapt as you go. It’s better to act and iterate than to wait and miss opportunities. It’s like that old saying, "Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good." By executing swiftly, you can learn, adjust, and improve in real-time.

Imagine you're working on a project at your job. You've got a good idea, but it's not perfect. Instead of waiting until every detail is fine-tuned, you push it out. This way, you get real feedback, see how it works in the wild, and can make improvements based on actual data, not just your assumptions. This approach not only shows initiative but also helps you to learn and grow faster.

Let's dive into a personal story. Think about a young entrepreneur named Sarah. She had an idea for an app that helps people find and rate local hiking trails. Sarah wasn’t a coder, so she teamed up with a friend to create a basic version of the app. It was far from perfect—there were bugs, and the design was pretty basic. But they launched it anyway. The initial users loved the concept and provided valuable feedback. Sarah and her friend used this feedback to improve the app iteratively. Had they waited to perfect it, they might have missed the chance to engage with their audience early and adapt to what users actually wanted.

In essence, Patton’s quote is a call to embrace action over hesitation. It's a reminder that progress is made by doing—not by waiting for the perfect conditions. So next time you’re stuck in planning mode, take a leap. Execute that good plan now and trust yourself to make it even better as you go. Sometimes, the best way to perfect something is to start imperfectly and learn through the doing.