The Art of Plan B
The Art of Plan B.
I have always heard saying and quotes about always living in the moment. I have seen memes that say that you should travel now and work out the money later. But in my head I have always thought about having a decent back up plan. A good PLAN B; something to back you up when things fall apart.
Having a Plan B means being mature enough to be ready for whatever life throws at you. But how you you really prepare. Life happens so fast and you can never ever be too prepared for anything but how can you stay in the driver seat and not worry too much?
What is a Plan B?
Plan B is a game plan that you have in order for you to survive the times when the world seems to fall apart. It is something that can carry you through when your Plan A does not push through. Plan Bs are your lifesaver. They can help you from small things to the big things. I can say that I am the type of person who loves having a Plan B (C, D, E and so on)
I admit that you can never be too much in control no matter what happens. Life happens. Things happen. But being able to look two steps ahead and make a contingency plan is very important.
How to Make Good Plan Bs
Learn to plan ahead and be two steps ahead.
Well life can never ever be perfect. Things get changed, plans get canceled, money gets stolen; bottom line is you have to prepare. Through proper planning and preparation you can feel safer and happier. By having a backup plan, you get to sleep well at night knowing that no matter what happens, you can survive whatever life throws at you.
1. Save money – Yes this may sound totally totally cliché but you got to save money. In times of trouble having money to spend can save you. If you don’t have anything stocked up for the rainy days you can be in deep trouble. You need to be like the Ant in the story of The Ant and the Grasshopper.
I know saving nowadays can very difficult. But if you cut back on little things such as that latte that you buy on your way to work or that expensive gym membership you can save money here and there.
2. Never depend on one income alone – I know what you will say, that you can only have one job and that your job is already a killer but you can always find a way to earn a little extra from other sources. You can sew things at home. You can offer dog walking. You can sell your old stuff. You need to make money outside of your job. You can have an investment. You can have a part-time job. You can sell things online. This source of income does not need to make tons, the important things is you have another source so that just in case something happens, you still have a source of funds.
3. Know your circle of trust – You have to know who you can really trust. These are the people who will bail you out of jail at 3am when you have no one else to call. These can be your brother, mother, sister, friend, lover, office mate or anyone who is really willing to be there for you. Most people can be your friend but you can’t just trust anyone. You have to really know people who will catch you if you fall.
You need to have someone who will rush to the ER if something bad happens to you rather than snuggling with their pillows at 2 o’clock in the morning.
4. Don’t get attached to material things – Most people get so low when something bad happens because they get too attached to a material thing. Their house, their car, their toy collection. Try living simply. You have to learn to live in a way that you can be ready to move anytime. I know you love your robot collection but these things add up to expenses, space and money and so they are not wise to keep.
If you invest in things you don’t need, then you might end up selling the things that you need in the future just to live.
5. Have an emergency pack – Be it for a calamity, for an on the spur trip or a one night stand, you always have to be prepared for out of the blue things. You need to have an emergency pack which you can carry right away with you if you need to run out of your house right away. Carry a condom with you if you are a man or woman going to a party. You never know when you will be hitting it off with a cute stranger and an unwanted pregnancy or STD can be a very bad thing.
6. Write down your plans and your backup plans – Getting the picture in your head would help you be prepared for whatever thing that may happen. If you see Japanese people in an earthquake you would be surprised. Why? Because they have very little panic in them when this happens. This is because they learned about it, studied about it and prepared for the earthquake.
If you write your plans down, you can visualize how they will happen. This will also help you come-up with possible deal breakers to your plan. This can help you know how to cope with these issues.
The Art of Plan B
Knowing that you will not go hungry if you lose your job or who to call in case of emergency can help you live better.
Planning ahead of time is an art. But actually, on top of Plan B, I have a Plan C, D, E, F and so on. I always come prepared. But on the other hand. I try to also be able to INSTANTLY cope with change and problems. This is what the planning is all about. To be able to cope even if you don’t have a backup plan.
On the other hand, there is also nothing wrong with living in the moment. You got to enjoy life as it happens. But what I’m saying is trying to plan ahead can help you cope with stress. Take for example email readings in this site. We offer this service to help you cope with what’s to happen.
Knowing what to do next is an art. Learning to stand up in the face of problems and troubles can make you stronger. I hope I was able to help you learn to plan ahead and make a Plan B.