What do I do when I’m always dealing with the unexpected? 

This is another question I often get asked when working with clients. When I first wrote this down as an idea for a blog, I wasn’t thinking of this on a personal level. However it came to the forefront this weekend when my laptop died as I was pulling things together to open up my membership this week.

As it’s not something that could be fixed quickly and I’d be without it for a week, I had to rearrange my plans.

So what to do when the unexpected happens?

The first thing is not to panic! Even as I was sitting in the Apple Store working out how I could survive without a laptop for a week.

• What could I reprioritise?
• What could be moved?
• What did I need in order to keep my business going?

As with most best laid plans if you actually have a plan to start with it’s a lot easier to change things when the unexpected occurs.

Having the right systems and processes in place means the important apps and documents I needed were online or easily downloaded to my smart phone.

Over the last few years I’ve moved most of my business into the cloud so that I could access it from any device. Another benefit is using devices that automatically synchronise with each other or use cloud-based technology.

I’ll share some of these in next weeks masterclass.

First, move the Productivity Masterclass planned for this Monday moved to the following week. You can sign up for it HERE.

Next, update all events linked to the Masterclass.

Delay the Member opening for a week. Also means changing the schedule slightly but there’s leeway for that.

It’s tricky, trying to do everything on a small screen isn’t easy but with a little creativity including using voice to write out my messages and this blog post I’ve managed two days so far. I even managed to update my website.

My client sessions are all on Zoom. It’s a little more limited on a smart phone but still workable.

Out of adversity comes opportunity.

I had to rethink this week’s Member launch so I've come up with something different. Join next week’s Masterclass and be the first to find out or get on the WaitList HERE and get notified when it opens.

Something that’s been ticking over in the background came to the forefront this week. Last time my laptop crashed I had a tablet I  used as a backup unfortunately it’s now too old.

Prompted by a suggestion from one of my members. I now have a Chromebook on the way as a back up until my laptop gets repaired and a second device to use on webinars. 

Tips for dealing with the unexpected

Move or rearrange anything that’s not a priority.

Build some slack in your schedule so it’s easier to move things around. Don’t try to cram too much into your week.

Have a Plan B. What’s the worst that could happen, is it likely, what’s the impact?

Create some space between the unexpected happening and you making a decision. Sometimes having time to think gives you a better perspective.

Have the right systems and processes in place to keep things simple.

Find Out More:

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Get in touch to find ways to use your time more productively.

Find out more about how to Plan Your Week (e-course)

Plan for the Unexpected (blog post)