All too often, people who wing it, and succeed, are greeted with admiration. Their success is viewed as a magical ability to ignore hard work, hope for the best, and still come out on top. To them, winging it is a way of life.
Winging it is a form of shooting craps. You gamble that, prepared or not, you’ll be able to handle whatever comes up in life — sevens or snake eyes. But even veteran gamblers recognize that the odds are stacked against them. Taking a calculated risk is not the same as gambling. One is taking a risk after considered judgment; the other is leaving everything to the roll of the dice.
Originally, the term “winging it” was used to describe actors who relied on prompters in the wings because they had never taken the time to learn their lines. Winging it, or bluffing, certainly didn’t enhance the reputation of the actor who was performing without adequate preparation. And it won’t help you.
Winging it is nothing more than a gamble
You may have confidence in your ability to make off-the-cuff decisions; indeed, winging it may even be a habit, one you have little desire to break because it hasn’t created a major problem for you — yet.
The fact is, it’s impossible to substitute winging it for planning, preparation, and practice. When people wing it, they hope everything will work out, but they don’t know that it will. As a result of laziness or a tendency to operate on automatic pilot, they forget that making things work takes work. As Jascha Heifetz, the renowned violinist, said, “If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.”
Practicing the basics, being prepared, and following up on details is a small price to pay for success. Crisis management — putting out fires all day long — is more expensive and it’s exhausting. Winging it wastes valuable time and energy, leads to a loss of credibility, and can damage even the most promising career.
Of course, there will always be unpleasant surprises to deal with because the world isn’t perfect. But you can reduce the number of crises that plague you (and the stress they cause) by maintaining discipline in areas that are controllable.
How do you stop this runaway freight train and gain control of your life? The answer is as simple as an old Chinese proverb: A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
Since winging it has much in common with gambling, the first step is to follow the precept that Gamblers Anonymous requires of new members: Admit that you’re a gambler. Once you see yourself as a gambler (rather than an astute, risk-taking person), you’ve taken that first important step. When you’ve convinced yourself that you must break out of your winging-it, shoot-from-the-hip, flip-a-coin mentality, you’ll have a new lease on life. Once you incorporate some planning and preparation into your life, I’m sure you’ll find that the investment leads to better, more reliable outcomes. Is it worth the effort? You bet!
What are your thoughts? Please provide your comments below.
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Not only is winging it a gamble. Winging it conflict avoidance and its fear in motion.
If I wing it I don’t have to be as responsible-
If I wing it if it fails, I don’t have to care-
Winging it is the opposite of mindfulness and for me, mindfulness is a disciplined, thought out, deliberate way of being and living.
What I say, What I do, the way I act, is all mindful.
I want to be responsible for who I am and how I make a impact.
I want to be accountable for the kindness or the compassion I bestow.
Winging it – for me is something that does not resonate at all.
What do I bet on? I bet against winging it.
Lolly
Lead From Within (always)
Lolly
Your comment is spot on. For some people, “winging it” is a form of avoiding personal responsibility. As you say, “If I wing it and it fails, I don’t have to care.” Others “wing it” because they have too much on their plate with too little time. The result is the same … They spend more time cleaning up the mess than it would have taken to prepare.
Have an awesome day!
Best,
Frank
Thought provoking post. I used to spend a huge amount of life winging it – and combined this with wishful thinking.
Strangely, the success and dreams are coming true since I have stopped both; and now I trust in reaping the benefits of ‘considered’ actions.
I’m so glad to hear that Shirley. I’m not surprised that it paid off big time for you.
Unfortunately, many people “wing it” when it comes to the small things in life. Before they know it, winging it becomes a way of life. I’m curious. . . what caused you notice the problems of winging it and making the change?
Have an awesome day!
Frank
I think our current culture of always having to be on top, have more than anyone else, etc. Reinforces this type of behavior in our political and corporate arenas. Is this really what life and success are all about. What happened to being a good parent, cub scout leader, mentor, neighbor, etc. What happened to having those as goals and being a successful community person.
You’re absolutely right, Georgie. A balanced life is a key element of success.
Great post. Very well put. Instead of praising the people winging it – we must encourage people to respect their talent and the fact that hard work and passion will create sustainable succes.
Is there a point at which you have too much control, and preparation? I am riddled by anxiety, so when I wing it, I feel the most free and people say I’m at my best. I actually have a lot of skills, but I am terrible at preparing. I’m not trying to criticize your view, but actually, I hate that I wing it. Only, I see the other option as being paralyzed with fear. Sometimes I just need to get up and move instead of thinking about it so much.
I really care about my life, but I feel that the more I try to prepare, the more anxious I become. I just have a really low stress tolerance. I admit that I’m weak, and I always feel ashamed of myself. How do I build up confidence when the very process of working so hard for something just petrifies me into being useless?
I don’t know if you could email me a response privately, but it’s something I’d really like to gain insight on.
You bring up a very interesting point.
The right answer is what works best for you. If you’ve been successful without planning don’t change a thing. Go for it. Remember, we’re all wired a little differently.
Best,
Frank
This article just made me feel awful about myself. I’m a winging it gal by nature. It’s something I’ve tried to break and literally feel like I’m being suffocated as a human being. I personally feel like this article is incredibly judgemental.
Hi Casey
I’m sorry that this post isn’t to your liking.
If you want to wing it that’s your choice. The way I see it, you have the freedom to choose, but you’re not free from the consequences of those choices.
Choices are easy. The tough part is living with them.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank