Planning For Versions A, B, C: What to do When You Don't Know What Tomorrow Will Bring

Having a basic outline of how your day will look is proven by literally millions of people to be an efficient and effective tool to set yourself up for productivity.

But what happens when you're winding down for the night and...

Your baby starts having a major cough and you're not sure if you'll be able to bring them to day care the next day?

You're waiting on edits from your boss before you attack the next stage in that contract and you're not sure when she'll be replying?

They're predicting snow so you're not sure if you'll have power and if the kids will be home from school?

In Driven Day Land we implement a tool that we've used time and again to help us.

YOU PLAN FOR ALL SCENARIOS.

Begin with identifying your musts for the next day.

Those may include things like zoom calls for work, dinner, you're out of garbage bags, work emails that you must respond to, a training session for a triathalon etc...

The next piece though is then planning out each version including those musts and adjusting the tasks that may need to be adjusted so for example:

 See below for a sample:

OPTION A:  Regular day, forecast called for snow, but in the end it was just a light dusting.  Here's her planned normal day! She has coffee with a friend, a small workout, and regular work day.  Dinner is something she has time to cook and prep. 

Option B: It's a snow day, she adjusts dinner, when she's responding to emails and keeps the load lighter overall, exercise, and coffee with friend isn't on here.  

 Doing this early enough the night before will allow you to be prepared. 

For example, if they're calling for bad weather, and you're out of groceries... what's the plan?

1. Are you or your partner going to the store tonight just in case?  Or is tonight already busy, so you'll go tomorrow and if the roads aren't safe you have enough to get you through the next day or two.

2. If a kid may be sick, and you want to see how they're feeling in the am then...

Who is taking them to the doctor if needed?  Picking up or calling the prescription?

Maybe you can make the call in the morning, but your husband can take them to the doctor. Perhaps, you can take them to the doctor, but you'd have to reschedule a meeting (be super extra and send your boss that plan).  

You're to do list would be different depending on each of those outcomes?  

See what we're doing here? Having multiple plans in place to allow you to ensure all your musts are done.  And create a future plan for those tasks that may need to completed at a later date.

A few other tips:

If some of your musts can't be completed due to a snow day, a kid home sick, or YOU being sick, make a time when you WILL get it done.  Is it after the kids go to sleep?  Maybe you can push it off a day but after that you're going have to figure out a way to complete it.  May times a snow day lasts a few days, kids can be home for a week, and you get the edits to your work just as you're shutting down your laptop for the day.

Get organized with us!

https://www.drivenday.com/