Recommendations should aim for the ideal but they must be feasible, practical, and attainable. It is useless to recommend the impossible. The Need for Achievable Recommendations: Striking a Balance Between the Ideal and the Practical

The Need for Achievable Recommendations: Striking a Balance Between the Ideal and the Practical

Recommendations are often seen as a key tool for driving positive change. However, it is important to recognize that any recommendations put forward should be achievable, practical, and attainable. This is not to say that recommendations should not aim for an ideal, but rather that they must be realistic and attainable within the context they are being proposed. Otherwise, they are ineffective, and may even lead to feelings of disillusionment or disappointment. As the philosopher, George Santayana noted, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. This is especially pertinent when looking at recommendations, which if not grounded in reality may simply lead to a repeat of prior failures. Similarly, if recommendations are too challenging or complex, they may fail to be implemented, or may not be taken seriously. An effective recommendation must strike a balance between the ideal and the practical. For example, the United Nations’ 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change was an ambitious target to keep global warming below 2°C, while also aiming to limit it to 1.5°C. While this was an idealistic goal, it was also. Cont…