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About this quote

What does it mean?
A decent plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed too late.
In plain terms
Do a good plan now instead of waiting for a perfect one.
What can you take from it?
Execute good plans quickly.

Where it applies

  • business strategy
  • product launches
  • crisis response

Putting it to work

  • reduce approval time
  • iterate quickly
  • avoid analysis paralysis

Questions to consider

  • Am I waiting too long?
  • Is perfect the enemy of done?

Another view

Sometimes rushing leads to costly mistakes.

More from George S. Patton

  1. There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from no…

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  2. A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.

    Permalink to quote #29

  3. From time to time there will be some complaints that we are pushing our people too hard. I don't give a good Goddamn about such complaints. I believe in the ol…

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