Hope is not a Strategy

I am working on completing a Certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.  The first course I completed (its a four course track) was in Strategic Planning. 

The professor repeated a phrase that many of the students appreciated: 'Hope is not a strategy."  It wasn't one of my favorite "take home" from the class, and it's hard for me to wrap my head around.  As I was writing this post, I found this article.   

One of my pet peeves is phrases that sound good, and as if they ought to be true, but under the light of examination, are full of holes.  At first, I thought this was one of those phrases.   As a Christian, hope isn't a wish.  Hope is an anchor. We have faith in the assurance of what we hope for.  

But then I read this from the page I linked above:

Hope will only get you so far. You cannot just wish away your (or the country's) problems. There needs to be a concentrated effort to reduce problems and to increase positive opportunities. Just sitting around thinking about how the current situation could be better is not going to change anything, you also have to act.

Hope is not a strategy.  Hope is the assurance we have that the goal we are trying to reach is possible.  Strategy is the description of the action to get there.

2020 has been quite a year so far.  So many have died from a novel virus.  And now, in the past few weeks, we are (once again) face to face with the inequality in our society.  We can hope things will change.  We can have faith change is possible.  But hope is not a strategy.  What will we do to be the change?