What is Planning Fallacy?

Did you ever think you could get something done in half an hour and three hours later you're still working on it? It's what humans do, and it's called Planning Fallacy. The concept was first proposed by two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1979. In short, people underestimate the time it will take them to accomplish a task. (More on planning fallacy here)

The concept of Planning Fallacy is proven over and over when it comes to emergency preparation. When an emergency, for instance a hurricane, is imminent, people feel they can stock up on all their emergency needs such as water, medical and other supplies in time for the storm. This carries with it the risk of store shelves being empty, roads being blocked, gas stations running out of fuel. A scenario of being left without needed supplies is a real possibility. When an unplanned event, such as an earthquake, a house fire or a chemical spill occurs and you have to evacuate fast, the possibility of being left without necessary supplies is acute. 

At Vles designs, our approach is to have the basics covered; having the necessary supplies and an emergency plan ready to go when you need to.  In an emergency you don't want to think about what you need, you want to think about getting your family, friends and neighbors to safety. Don't be a victim of the Planning Fallacy.