Why Ambitious Plans Often Fail

Looking back, I’ve realized that every time my plans have failed, it’s usually because I created them in what I now call “Rambo mode.”

Back in college, I’d sometimes declare bold goals like, “I’m going to study 18 hours a day for the next six months!”

Of course, it sounded great at the time. But once I actually tried to do it, the plan would collapse within days. The gap between my ambition and my ability to execute was massive.

Planning Like a Warrior, Executing Like a Cartoon

This pattern isn’t rare. Most of us tend to plan in “Rambo mode” — setting intense, high-effort goals with full confidence.

But when it’s time to execute, we switch to “Mickey Mouse mode” — hesitant, inconsistent, and far less intense than we imagined.

Why does this happen? Because planning happens in imagination, where everything is painless. Reality, on the other hand, brings effort, discomfort, and limits.

The Marathon Illusion

Try this: imagine running a marathon in just two hours. Sounds simple when you visualize it, right? But actually running at that pace for even five minutes would leave most people gasping for air.

This is exactly why ambitious goals so often fall apart. Our minds trick us into thinking the future will feel easier than it actually does.

A Smarter Way to Plan

Here’s one way to avoid this trap: before committing to a long-term plan, test it in the short term.

Thinking of waking up at 5 a.m. every day to work on your side project? Try doing it for three days straight. Want to write for two hours daily? Try it this week.

When you experience the reality of your goal, you’ll know whether your plan is sustainable — and if not, you can adjust it before burning out or giving up.