Patton argues that timely action can be more valuable than delaying in pursuit of an ideal plan. In warfare, circumstances can change quickly, so additional preparation may bring greater precision while also allowing an opportunity to disappear. A workable plan carried out promptly can therefore achieve more than a theoretically better plan introduced too late.

The fuller passage connects this view with speed, self-confidence and audacity. Patton is not suggesting that planning is unimportant, but that planning has practical value only when it leads to effective action at the right moment. His argument also recognises that decisions are often made without complete information or perfect conditions. Waiting for certainty can itself become a decision, with consequences of its own. The broader lesson is that judgement involves balancing the benefits of further preparation against the risks created by delay, particularly when opportunities are temporary and circumstances are changing.

Full quotation

“Don’t Delay: The best is the enemy of the good. By this I mean that a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week. War is a very simple thing, and the determining characteristics are self-confidence, speed, and audacity. None of these things can ever be perfect, but they can be good.”