We can compare our spiritual journey with practical one i.e. if we go for some voyage or visit some city on holidays.

We plan it well, Plan itenary, means of travel . By road or by air or may be by sea. When we will reach our destinied city? Our dwelling place, a hotel or a hut or a relative. Places to visit. We plan this all very nice.

A spiritual progress is also like this journey. So the seeker should plan his trip to inner world well in advance. Study all the stations, he might come across. Pros and cons of all the paths available to reach his destination.

Though this is ideal, it takes lot of time and involve much of your effort. You should get familiar with all the routes, all the paths available. At least you need to keep scanning till you find your way. Also, qualification is the main problem in this area. Because in real world you can get many experts who are familiar with the route and the city you are going to visit. In spiritual realm, you need to obtain a sufficient qualification, not to prove to anybody else but sufficient enough to take your own decision, about the path you will take. First hand knowledge is always useful in such cases.

But everybody cant spare enough time for such search, everybody cant have sufficient enthusiasm and searching mindest to arrive at concrete decision.

So people always try to find Guru, who has traveresed the path and reached that destination, who can guide us at our journey. So once again the question of authenticity arises. The seekers are ready to believe in the people who have acquired Guruhood because their friend or relative is telling them so. But they themselves do not have any method to judge or decide about such people.

Actually, commen sense is the only wise criteria to judge these people, But this commen sense is highly uncommon which gets proved when we see people following some quack.

Its always better to know about your path or sadhana from written tradition may be it may be bookish or from some living Guru. Because when you does not know where to go you are just one more wanderer wasting your time. (Time has been alloted to  you to waste or expend on different tasks you are doing in life , that's different story.) Sadhaka first need to analyse different stages one goes through if taken that path, are we ready to handle those stages? What's our mindset, and what is the qualification to take that path. He/she needs to compare the environment demanded by path and present situation. Also, upcoming duties of sadhaka should be checked for their compatibility.

One more important aspect of Planning your spiritual journey is What is your destination? Is it knowledge, Joy, some divine miracle or freedom from bondage of Births and Karmas. Because this is your real inner urge which will compel you to walk on the path or literally will drag you through  the contours of your path. If you are sakam Bhakta or from the category of Aartas then think how boring a path of Knowledge to you? At the end you will get diverted to knowledge automatically but directly you should not jump on it. Because you can exhibit only those virtues which are inside of your being, you need to control, pacify, manage all those aspirations emerging from you time to time. While walking on the path you will fulfill those and while doing so your desires or aspirations will get elevated due to your sadhana and slowly as you deepen, transformation will take place.

Or sometimes the person exhibits differently for different situation, some of his old karma and its samskaras come at surface then his mindset sways, moods keep on swinging. The path taken earlier feels insufficient so in such cases the person might need to take other keeping the principles same. So wisely he should choose his path and keep a constant check of his mindset, whether he is not swaying away from his chosen path. If for some reasons, he compromises for some relevant other path, as said before he should keep his principles intact.

At the end, in a nutshell, A sadhaka should prepare himself to walk on the path by planning his journey, choosing the path compatible to his temperament or physical situation in life. He should decide whether living Guru or principles taught by some ancient but deceased person or information recorded in a  book called as scripture is sufficient to him to walk on the path. The first and formost is what is the destination, knowledge, Joy, some divine miracle or freedom from bondage of Births and Karmas. JanmaKarma Bandhas.