Planning for Everything: The Design of Paths and Goals Kindle Edition

Planning is essential, and many of us don’t do it very well. Fear, uncertainty, and powerlessness hold us back. Our lives are messy, and the challenges we face are multi-faceted and complex. Who better than one of the world’s most prominent information architects to help make sense of the mess?On the surface, Peter Morville’s new book seems like a hands-on guide to making better plans. And it is; it includes practical frameworks that can help with your planning. But there’s much below the surface that makes this book special. It goes deep into the subject, examining how we envision future possibilities, set goals, decide among various compelling options, strategize, act, and reflect. Throughout it weaves examples and stories both from the author's personal experience — running marathons, leading a consultancy, parenting — and from literary sources that range from the Bhagavad Gita to Yuval Noah Harari. The result is not only practical, but also entertaining and inspiring.This short book is long on wisdom; I left it feeling as though I'd just spent a calm afternoon with an insightful mentor. If you’re facing a major life decision (or even a minor one), it behooves you to read it.

When you know something is not going the way you think it should, get this book to be better prepared(mindfully and practically) for the next time. I've always enjoyed Morville's books and this one is definitely hits home. While reading this book there were so many people in my life who I know needed this type of story, this personal journey, for how to think about that next step in their lives. After finishing, I gave it to the first person I knew who needed it more than me. Now I need to get few more copies to give to family who need it and to replace my own copy. Thoughtful writing from a holistic point of view with practical advice that you can start thinking and taking action for your WHOLE life.

A thought-provoking, practical, and genuinely fun read - which is precisely what I expect from Peter Morville!I've read several of his earlier books (Ambient Findability, Intertwingled), and wasted no time to get this new one. As always, Peter writes with humanity and humility, gently sharing wisdom and helping me see the world differently.As the back cover says, "if you hate planning, you're doing it wrong." Get this book and you won't only learn to plan better, you'll have more fun doing it.

I absolutely love this book. But it is not just a good book. It is a practical guide that I have been able to apply to a very complicated project. It has given me a new understanding and perspective on what planning can be. Through his book, Peter has helped me apply a framework for good decision-making and more importantly for reflection and feedback. This book will change your way of thinking and your perspective on planning forever!

You feel the experience of working on actual projects on every page of this book. The Dunning Kruger effect is clear in this writing. There is no best path to success, no white and black. This book helps you question your own ways of working.

I read all of Peter Morville's works, and this one is inspiring! As a UX designer, it is important to keep up with the latest literature. This should be on everyone's shelf.

Some great insights for changing the way you plan, IF you already have a planning process. Not a guide to learn to plan.

I always enjoy talking to Peter Morville. He asks interesting questions that make me think long and hard about my response. A good example is the discussion we had when Peter was developing the structure and content of Planning For Everything. I recall that many of my stories were about the effort that goes in to planning church services. I’ve sat on the console of several cathedral organs and suddenly wondered about some element of the service that I realise I may not have planned as well as I thought I had. Large organ consoles are very high technology but do not offer email or two-way radio!Now the book has been published and I’ve spent a very enjoyable morning reading it. There are eight chapters with the alliterative titles of Realizing the Future, Framing, Imagining, Narrowing, Deciding, Executing, Reflecting and (to break the pattern) Star Finder.I have a number of books on project management on my shelves but this is not a book specifically about project management. We spend a significant amount of time each day planning for events but never fill in a time sheet to realize how much time we are taking (or perhaps not taking) in the planning process. The result is items missed of a shopping list or failing to add a particular piece of music into my case for a service. Remember that the title of the book is Planning for Everything.Peter guides the reader through the process of planning through stories that, as is so often the case in knowledge transfer, bring elements of the planning process to life and act as mnemonics for future use. A feature of the book is that way that Peter acts as a way-finder and not as an instructor, and there are many personal memories brought into play to make a specific point. As I read it I not only smiled at his stories but remembered parallel situations in my work and away from it.The speed of the digital world can easily force us into making a decision because of the insistent messages on the web site or on social media. “Act now to take advantage of this offer”. This book provides not an antidote to this pressure but a way of planning to that you are ready to make a decision only when it suits you and your particular circumstance. This is a fairly short book, just 125 pages, but the fact that it is that length is a tribute to the skill of the author in knowing just what to write, and no more. The subtitle of the book is The Design of Paths and Goals. If that is something you need help on then this is a book you should reason. If you don’t think you need help reading this book is just as important. The next decision you make without using Peter’s framework could be one you will remember for all the wrong reasons

Bought this after hearing the author on a podcast talking about information architecture, product development, design and of course planning. This is an intriguing, absorbing, intelligent and curious bookwritten in a gentle conversational style and punctuated by the author’s biographical tales and his takes on veganism, htalth, animal welfare, and extreme sd/rts. His central idea is that planning is inescapable, humans are brilliant at planning, and that we should rethink our attitude toward and use of planning by focueing on planning as process rather than production of static artefacts. ‘Planning is indispensable but plans are useless.’ And he provides a unique and very smart framework for making planning more social, collaborative, exploratory, visual, tangible, situational, agile, informed and fun. Memorise the mnemonic and you can take it away and try it out at work and at home. An intelligent, thoughtful book with many original perspectives, marred only by some (to my taste) inelegant soundbite prose styling in places which undermines the author’s seriousness and his otherwise warm, humane and authentic voice. Otherwise highly recommended.

Good for those new to design thinking, or who need to learn proper planning techniques. More about mindset and the big picture than small details.