Be Ready for the Unexpected

Do you ever have days where things go wrong...your phone isn't charged, you forgot to take the package you were supposed to mail, you've run out of laundry soap, the computer starts acting up, your neighbor needs a last minute ride to pick up his car at the shop. It can really put a crimp into your day. Here are a few tips to help keep these unexpected things from totally derailing your day.

Recharge nightly. As part of your end of day routine, check the status of electronic items you use daily such as a cell phone, laptop, or tablet. If necessary, plug these items in. (Sometimes it is better to let them run almost all the way down so they take a greater charge but still check them nightly.)

Create a spot for "to leave the house" items. You could put a nice basket or shelf by the door you most enter/exit from, or hang a tote bag on a hook. When you prepare a package, for example, to go to post office, put it by the door immediately.

Avoid running out of items. When you get toward the bottom of something like laundry soap, immediately add it to your shopping list. Don't wait. For some items, you may even want to be "one ahead." For example, you might start by buying two containers of laundry soap, and when you use up the first one, buy the next, always having one backup.

Allow cushion. Because technology inevitably seems to have a hard time working perfectly daily, allow some cushion, or as some folks put it, margin in your day. If you typically need 15 minutes each morning at the computer, schedule 20 or more. Turn on the computer and go do something else while it goes through its warm up cycle.

Clean and gas your car weekly. Pick one day a week to gas your car and while the gas is pumping, clean up the inside a bit by collecting trash and perhaps washing the windshield. Every few weeks, if you can afford it, take the car through a thorough car wash that also includes vacuuming. I pick up several of their free trash bags which will last me until the next major wash, if I switch them out with the weekly touch up at the gas station.

I recently had a last minute opportunity to pick up a friend for an event and it was nice to know my vehicle was relatively clean and presentable.

Some good systems exercised regularly can take the pressure off when the unexpected happens. You may not be able to forsee all interruptions, but you can be more prepared for them.

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