Planning for the unexpected.

It's a topic that comes up repeatedly because as a parent, you know that things are constantly changing.

Something almost always comes up.

It's why one podcast listener asked, "what's the point of even planning when you have kids? If it's all going to change, isn't that just time that you wasted creating a plan?"

I get it. A plan gets your hopes up. It creates a vision of how you think things will go. Then it's even more frustrating or disappointing when you have to drop the plan and change course.

These are valid questions.

Questions I asked myself last winter when it felt like our family of 5 was endlessly sick 🤒 with one virus after another.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to stop planning my days. I was tired of my plans never working out so I just took things day by day, hour by hour.

When I was home with a sick kid, and even on the rare days I wasn't, I'd just do whatever was top of mind or felt most urgent.

After a couple of weeks, I have to say I felt lost. Part of that could've just been because it wasn't what I was used to. But it was more than that...

I lost my focus.

I was missing deadlines. I could no longer tell if I was making any progress. I didn't even really know what my priorities and my goals were. I was relying on my memory, which let's be honest, was not at its peak with all the stress of sick kids.

I'm glad I did that experiment, though, because it taught me that a plan, even if it changes, gives you a starting place.

You know what has to get done and what you just want to get done.

Then you can make faster decisions about what to change and what to let go of when your day suddenly goes off the rails.

If you have your day planned out with meetings, projects, and to-do items but then daycare calls and you have to go pick up your sick child, you have some decisions to make:

Can you reschedule your meetings? If yes, go do that!
Is there something you absolutely have to be present for?
If no, let the organizer know you won't be there or have someone join in your place and take notes.
If yes, can you join virtually with your camera off? Or do you need childcare coverage during that timeframe? That information will make finding help easier because you know exactly what you're asking for. (this is how my husband and I divide up days like this!)
Do you need to let the team know you when to expect that report or deliverable if today isn't going to be productive like you thought?

When you know what was supposed to happen, you can take action right away to solve for the fact that you're not going to be able to work the way you thought.

Having a plan is about having your eyes wide open 👀 so you can see what needs to change, instead of just winging it.

While you can't technically plan for the unexpected, there are a few things you can do to make life easier when it happens:

Think of your future self

What can you do today to make her job easier?
Can you think ahead and help her out?
Get started on that project a little earlier than you think you need to.
Research backup childcare options for a time when you might need them.
Prep dinner, even if it's just chopping the veggies in advance or setting out the pot of water for later.
You like your future self and want the best for her, so while your schedule is going according to plan, do something for her.
Add in some "buffer time"

This is a short block of time on your calendar that can absorb an interruption that you weren't planning on.
A task that takes longer than you thought or a last-minute request that you need to take care of.
It can also help if something bigger comes up because it means your day isn't so full. There's space to shift things around if you need to.
I like to add at least one 30-min block of "buffer time" on my calendar each day if I can.
Create a plan

Create at least a sketch of your day or your week.
Know what you absolutely HAVE to do this week.
Know what's happening when, what you're going to have for dinner, and who needs to be where.
This information will help you so much when something unexpected comes up, as it will!

There will likely be some disappointment when things don't go according to plan. That makes so much sense! It's not what you expected when you created your plan.

But the unexpected is going to happen. That's life. And that's especially true of life with kids.

Having a plan that has to change doesn't make it worse. The plan actually helps you pick up the pieces and find a solution faster.

Planning for the Unexpected as a Working Mom

Think of your future self

Add in some "buffer time"

Create a plan

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