As a Chinese ancient proverb goes, a man with plan is a man with hope. When it comes to plan making, some may stick to a practical thought while others may prefer a challenging one. As for me, I would rather choose the latter one for the following two reasons.
Firstly, a challenging plan is more likely to ensure efficiency. The major reason why a practical plan appears more appealing is that it seems to guarantee an easy and smooth success. But the fact is, most practical planners tend to underestimate or even overlook the potential challenges lying in a task. A task performer with a challenging plan, on the other hand, is inevitably more cautious in every step of the way, taking precautious measures even before problems show up. Take my sister for instance. When she decided to apply for a master’s program for chemistry, her family suggested her consult a study abroad agency, which is more convenient and practical. However, she chose to DIY her application, despite her poor English. Unlike those who rely totally on agents, she worked like a dog. To prepare for her essay, she usually burnt mid night oil to hit English version books or search materials online. And finally due to her arduous effort, she was admitted to Stanford with full scholarship. Thus it seems to me that a person couldn't have been so self-motivated and efficient if s/he hadn’t chosen a road less traveled.
Secondly, a challenging plan leaves room for innovation. As a more conservative problem-solving approach, a practical plan contributes to nothing more than a fine result. A challenging plan, on the contrary, usually comes with by-products like innovation or creativity. It is because to accomplish a challenging task, one has to think outside the box, instead of turning to regular routines all the time. Take the card-reader invention of Square for instance. If Jack Dorsey had just conformed