of planning

"It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time."
- Winston Churchill

(First of all, what an awesome picture this is.)

Winston Churchill's full name, including his list of titles, is far too long to be written here. One of the most influential people in British history, he served as Prime Minister during WWII and led Britain as one of the first countries to oppose Nazi Germany. He was a great orator and his war speeches are still well-known today. Churchill was also a great artist, historian and writer. His works as the latter, including memoirs of British history and the war years, earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.

Churchill also served in the military in various postings, and was the First Lord of Admiralty during WWI and WWII. Maybe it is the combined effect of having seen action and having led a nation through tumultuous times, that made him adopt the philosophy of never planning too far ahead. But even in the calm of a typical afternoon in a 21st-century first-world country I can see the wisdom in his words. In any future event there are too many unknowns. These days I have trouble knowing whether it is a time to take control or a time to let events take shape. For now, I will try to focus more on the present.