Anything That Can Go Wrong…

…will go wrong. I used to think that this Murphy guy was just a pessimist who didn’t know how to see the cup as half full. And then, as one might see where this is going, I encountered the infamous law first hand.

That one client of yours that accounts for 80% of your income? They’re actively looking for a more economical solution.

The tickets that you were supposed to print for the upcoming event that you’re already late for? Too bad everyone was too busy to replace the ink in the office printer.

Your partner in the project who was supposed to lead the presentation? She might’ve forgotten to mention that she gets really bad allergies this time of the year.

Whether intentional or not, these things happen, and probably at the worst possible time. The examples above are all real. Yet, as the author of a blog post about Murphy’s law, somehow I was still surprised and unprepared when these times came around.

It’s important for us to constantly challenge the assumptions we make and to have a plan B for when the one constant you thought was always going to be there shifts from under you without a care in the world.

Budget for what would happen if this client disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow.

Print the tickets ahead of time, not on your way to the event, or be proactive in replacing the ink for the printer and be everyone’s new favorite office mate.

Prepare with your partner and be ready to take the mic when the big presentation comes around.

What are the major assumptions you’re making, and what can you do right now to prepare for the day when those assumptions are pulled out from under you?