I woke up early this morning, eager to get a start on my day. I generally like to get about two hours of work done before my kids awake so that my priorities don’t compete.
The night before, I had made a quick list of 5 tasks I wanted to get done this morning and even estimated the amount of time each would take me. It was a foolproof plan…so I thought.
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However, when I went to start the very first item on my list, it all began to crumble.
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The software I had been using for months to do some of my clients’ work was down. I mean, not working AT ALL. And it was my FAVORITE tool for doing the type of work I was needing to do at the time. It was easy to use, fast, convenient…and the love list goes on.
I was thrown off track and wasted 30 precious minutes submitting trouble tickets, researching their site for updates, reading other users’ problem posts, and lamenting over my loss.
Then I had to figure out what to do next, and another 5 or 10 minutes went into that planning.
Not a good start to my well-planned-out day.
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But, was it so well planned out after all?
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Snags in our plans shouldn’t throw us completely off track. We should always have a Plan B in mind for major tasks so that we can quickly recover and move into action.
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I had been using this software for so long and had grown so accustomed to it always being available, that I failed to keep my Plan B in mind.
I had a Plan B, but it was buried so far down in my toolkit, that I had to dust it off and get it in working condition again (metaphorically speaking).
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So the lesson (and I know you’ve got it already)…
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For major tasks in your business, have a Plan B outlined and ready to implement at all times. You can’t afford to waste time and effort scrambling for a solution.
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Action Step: Schedule time this week to write down systems for each of your major tasks. Write out the tools you use, the steps you take for each task, and what you’ll do/use should that tool fail you. Keep these documents updated and add new systems as needed.
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If you need help creating plans for your business, start with outlining your goals and then adding this formula for making them irresistibly achievable.
