Unexpected Punches and Preparation Beats Planning

Today’s Theme:

The most dangerous hit isn’t the one you’re braced for. It’s the one you don’t see coming.

We spend so much time preparing for the obvious challenges, but life rarely follows a script. It’s often the surprise, the disruption, or the curveball that rattles us most.

The question isn’t just, Do you have a plan? The deeper question is: Are you prepared to adapt when the plan breaks down?

Houdini’s Final Act

Harry Houdini made a living escaping the impossible. Toss him in a river wrapped in chains? He’d pop up in seconds. Bury him alive in sand? He’d claw his way out. His reputation was built on the idea: Physics doesn’t apply to me.

Part of the act was even letting people punch him in the stomach. He’d brace, tighten his core, and stand tall like a human brick wall. He’d absorb each blow without even flinching.

But in 1926, backstage after a show, a college kid asked if the trick was real. Before Houdini could answer, the kid fired a few punches into his stomach. No warning. No bracing. Houdini would proceed to wave him off, clearly in pain.

Days later, he fell seriously ill and never recovered.

Historians debate whether the blows directly caused his appendicitis or simply added stress to an already failing organ. But what’s certain is this: The man who had escaped rivers, coffins, and chains was undone by a punch he didn’t see coming.

And that’s how life works too. It’s not always the big things that derail us. It’s the unexpected blows. That’s why there’s a huge difference between planning and preparation.

Preparation vs. Planning

NYT bestselling author Sahil Bloom recently wrote: “Preparation always beats planning.”

As human beings, every environment we compete in (sports, business, or daily life) has one thing in common: Nothing ever goes exactly to plan. As they say in the military, competitive arenas are VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environments. You can’t plan for every twist.

Sahil Bloom further emphasized that “Planning is about expecting order. Preparation is about expecting chaos.”

Planning assumes the script will hold. Preparation assumes it won’t.

Confidence doesn’t come from carrying the perfect plan into the moment. Confidence comes from knowing: I’ve done the work. I can handle whatever comes my way.

French General, Napoleon, understood this difference centuries ago.

Centuries later, that same mindset shows up in athletes like Scottie Scheffler, whose preparation gives him the freedom to play boldly when it matters most.

The details differ, battlefield or golf course, but the principle holds: When the moment comes, it’s not about clinging to the plan. It’s about trusting the preparation.

Turning Preparation Into Action

So how do you put this into practice? Here’s a few ideas:

1. Prepare enough to perform…then perform to learn. You learn a little by planning. You learn a lot by performing. The only place a perfect plan exists is in the planning room. The key is to start, execute, and adjust as you go.

2. Plan with care, play with courage. In alignment with Napoleon’s message to be “timid and careful when planning, yet bold and relentless when acting.” A loose translation of this sentiment could be the following: Plan with care, but play with courage. When your moment to perform arrives, it’s time for action (not second-guessing). Conviction will beat hesitation every time.

3. Adapt to the conditions, not your expectations. In the movie 300, when the Persian messenger boasts, “Our arrows will blot out the sun,” a Spartan warrior replies, “Then we will fight in the shade.”

This is one of my favorite “mental game” scenes in a movie because it signals how mental toughness isn’t about being invincible, it’s about being adaptable.

The Spartans didn’t waste time wishing conditions were different. They adjusted their mindset and strategy to fit reality. That’s what preparation gives you: The ability to pivot, trust yourself, and keep moving forward when circumstances aren’t ideal.

Questions Worth Considering:

• What tools, skills, or habits have you built that allow you to adapt quickly when conditions change?

• In what areas do you need to stop second-guessing and start competing with courage and conviction?

Final Thoughts:

Houdini’s story, Napoleon’s wisdom, Scheffler’s mindset, and the Spartan’s courage all point to the same principle: In pressure moments, it’s not the plan you lean on, it’s the preparation underneath it.

Plans give you direction, but preparation gives you freedom.

Inspiration for This Piece:

• https://www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter/are-you-prepared-for-your-moment

• Housel, M. (2024). Same as ever: A guide to what never changes. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Personal News:

One last update (and a bit of surprise) — My wife and I recently welcomed our second child, a baby girl named Oakley. 🥰 

Our hearts are full and it’s been fun watching Grayson step into his new role as big brother.

I discuss some of the inspiration behind Oakley’s name in one of my most recent episodes on my podcast too!

You can listen to all past episodes here: The Threshold Lab Podcast.

With gratitude,

ZB