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So far, all the programs you’ve seen have been pretty simple. The idea of formally planning any of them on paper probably seems like overkill. It’s not— planning your programs (even the small ones) will almost always result in time (and frustration) saved.
Programming is a lot like construction. Imagine a contractor building a house for you without a blueprint. Yikes! You might end up with a house that has 12 bathrooms, no windows, and a front door on the second floor. Plus, it probably would cost you 10 times the estimated price. Programming is the same way. Without a plan, you’ll likely struggle through the process and waste time. You might even end up with a program that doesn’t quite work.