There are consequences for everything you decide to do (and everything you refrain from doing). Some of those consequences are unintended and can’t be easily foreseen or protected against. People may react differently to your proposal than you thought they would, your plan might work better on paper than in practice, you could be incapable of acting as you had intended that day due to sickness or bad news, etc. There are so many variables in any situation, and many of those variables are outside of your control.
Whether your intentions are good or bad, any plan you make will have consequences that you didn’t anticipate. The more complex the plan, the more unforeseen and unintended consequences there will be. If you’re trying to solve a major problem, carefully examine every side of it and get as much information as you can about it before deciding on a solution. Failure to do so can result in no change whatsoever or, at worst, complete disaster. That’s why I recommend starting by solving lots of simple problems and gaining many small victories before moving on to more challenging problems. It’s wonderful to want to solve big problems but make sure you approach them in a way that doesn’t make bad situations worse. After all, good intentions don’t protect people from bad ideas and poor solutions.
I try to keep this stuff in mind whenever I make plans. Doing so helps me remember that I never know what the full impact of my actions will be. Sometimes I find it useful to think of stories involving someone being rude to another person on the way to a job interview only to find out that they were rude to the interviewer. Additionally, when I enter a business, I often remember how it feels to be on the receiving end of customer abuse. Both of those life hacks remind me to treat others well and act as if everyone is doing their best. That way, no matter what happens or what anyone else is going through, I can react in a way that brings peace to myself and, ideally, those around me. Even though I face many uncertainties and unintended consequences each day, I’ve gotten better at acting effectively to make the most of my situation, and I’ve only just begun.