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Subject: make room for the unexpected
Not gonna lie.
Last week was…
On top of an already overstuffed week, I had an employee quit with zero notice… less than 24 hours before a full day of client sessions.
It was a mess. And I was pissed.
Why was I pissed?
Was it because I was mad at this employee?
Ehh, not really. I was disappointed but also understood the extenuating circumstances that prompted a quick departure. Also, I’ve learned it’s not worth my emotional energy to be mad at employees for exhibiting employee-like behavior.
I was pissed because I didn’t have time to clean up the mess.
I was already running on fumes, crossing my fingers I’d get through my time sensitive to-do list before the weekend.
This unexpected crisis pushed me over the edge.
And you know what? It was totally my fault.
I wasn’t practicing what I preach last week… and it bit me in the ass.
So I’m here to confess my business sins and implore you to do as I say and not as I do!
If you want to run a burnout-proof business, you have to build buffer time into your schedule every week to account for unexpected emergencies.
I recommend adding time blocks to your calendar that say “PROTECTED FOR THE UNEXPECTED”.
“But Maegan, what happens if I don’t have an emergency that week? I can’t afford to waste all of that precious time!”
Oh, my friend, this is where the practical becomes magical…
If you don’t need the protected time for an unexpected event, you can use it HOWEVER YOU WANT!
→ Afternoon Netflix + nap?
→ Write extra content?
→ Catch up on your to-do list?
It’s yours to do with as you please.
And if you do have something unexpected happen that week, no big deal. You already have a few hours set aside to deal with it.
No need to steal time from other obligations… or cancel dinner plans… or wake up early on Saturday to work before your family wakes up.
All of those things are lame.
Protect yourself from the unexpected by adding time buffers to your weekly schedule.
Try it out for a few weeks and see how it feels. Let me know what you discover.
Talk soon,
Maegan
