Give yourself options: are you ready to keep going whenever life interrupts your plans? Here are some hints for how to - Strategies for Success

Pull a card, and you're a doctor with a big income. Spin the wheel, and your house burns down. In the board game LIFE [R], your success depends on lots of things you can't control--the spin of the wheel, the cards you draw, the number of children you have, and so on.

In real life, there are also many things you can't control. However, success isn't a matter of pure chance either. Success is more likely to happen when you've set goals and developed a plan to achieve them. There's still an element of chance that you can't completely plan away. John Lennon said, "Life's what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." One way to make sure you're ready for what life throws at you is to make sure your plan has lots of options.

For Kevin McNamee, a high school senior, life is full of unknowns. "I'm trying to plan for college, but you have to figure in so many things." He knows he'll major in dance or theater, both lifelong loves. "I've tried to think about the pros and cons of both. I imagine what my life would be like 20 years from now." He's also keeping his options open for his choice of colleges. "I want to do everything I'm applying for." Because Kevin has multiple options, the likelihood is he'll succeed in the end.

Business people call this contingency or scenario planning, a fancy term for developing plans for all the what-ifs. As far back as the 1970s, Royal Dutch Shell was well known for the thoroughness of its scenario planning. Managers thought of every variable from war to changes in government that could influence the oil industry. Then they planned what they'd do each scenario. The result suit is that very little rises Royal Dutch, and they've continued to be successful.

Benefits of Having a Backup Plan

When computer technicians build a network, they intentionally duplicate sections of the cabling that hooks the computers together. By building what's called a redundant system, they have ensured that if one part of the system is damaged the whole system won't fail.

Backup plans for individuals serve the same purpose. If things don't work out according to the plan, then they can switch to the backup. No down time, no stall outs. Not only are you able to continue towards your goals with only a minor interruption, but you're calmer about the whole thing.

Psychologists call this ability to come back from disappointment emotional resiliency. According to Dr. Ken Merrell, a professor at the University of Oregon, emotionally resilient individuals cope better with stress and are more likely to be successful. David Lee, author of How to Thrive in a High Stress World, argues that "cultivating a resilient workforce should be one of the top priorities of management." The good news is that resiliency can be learned.

Geta Plan

Take a cue from business. Business owners buy business interruption insurance so that they aren't hurt as badly when an unforeseen event interrupts their ability to carry on. Your backup plan is your business interruption insurance policy.

Here's how to have peace of mind:

Step 1: Have a solid Plan A.

The most important place to start is with a plan. Do the usual recommended steps. Start by identifying your goals. Then develop strategies to reach those goals.

Step 2: Imagine the worst thing that could happen.

Think through all the obstacles that could keep you from achieving Plan A. Murphy's Law says "Anything that can go wrong, will." Think "worst case" scenario. Then make it even worse. The corollary to Murphy's Law is "Murphy was an optimist." Step 3: Give yourself alternatives.

Once you've wrecked your life in your imagination, put that imagination to work again. This time visualize what you could do instead. Neil Fiore, author of The Now Habit, uses this process of imagining what you'd do if the worst happened, in order to establish a sense of safety. No matter what happens, you're ready to do your best without being hindered by a fear of failure.

When you develop backup plans, stay open to any idea, even the ones that seem ridiculous on the surface. Keith Ellis, author of The Magic Lamp: Goat Setting for People Who Hate to Set Goats, stresses the importance of being flexible: "You can't fail unless you run out of options. You can't run out of options unless you give up.

Step 4: Monitor your progress.

You didn't spend all that time developing a plan just to put it away in a drawer someplace. Your Plan A should include a process to monitor whether your goals are being achieved. If you find yourself getting off track, spend some time analyzing what went wrong.

Step 5: Make the change.

If your monitoring process shows that things aren't going to work out the way you thought they would, turn to your backups. Decide which is your next best strategy under the new circumstances, and put Plan B into action.

If you add this final step of contingency planning to your planning process, you'll find that no matter what happens, you'll be able to keep working toward your goals.

RELATED ARTICLE: What Your Backup Strategy?

How well do you deal with life's little disasters? Take this quiz to testy our resiliency.

1. You were counting on putting in extra hours at work in order to buy your mother a great present. Now your boss tells you she'll be cutting back everyone's hours.

a. All your plans are ruined.

b. You get mad at your boss and quit.

c. You decide to get another job to add t your income.

2. You tried out for the lead in the play. You love theater, and it's really important to get some extracurricular activities for your resume You didn't get the lead, but they did offer you a supporting part.

a. You decide not to be in the play at all if you can't have the lead.

b. You take the supporting role, but don't do much with it.

c. You take the supporting role and do a really good job with it.

3. Your plans for college require that you get a full scholarship. The college of your choice offer you only partial support.

a. You decide not to go to college.

b. You accept and decide you'll worry about the money later.

c. You shift to other college choices with more affordable tuition.

4. You're on your way to an important job interview. Because of an accident, there's a traffic jam. It's obvious you're going to be very late.

a. You sit in traffic worrying and worrying.

b. You decide to just go home.

c. You call, explain the situation, and ask to reschedule.

5. You have a major project due Monday. It's lat Sunday evening when your printer decides this would be a good time to die.

a. You put your head down and cry.

b. You'll just beg the teacher for mercy.

c. You call your friends to find another printer.

If you answered a orb to any of the above questions, you should work at becoming more flexible. Practice having several options ready so you can achieve your goals.

Strategies for Success (pp. 12-14)

Give Yourself Options

Students will discover strategies for developing options in achieving their goals.

REVIEW/DISCUSS

* What is contingency planning? (having backup plans or options for meeting goals in case things don't work out as planned)

* Why are options a good idea? (Despite any setbacks, you can continue toward goals and remain calm.)

* How can a person become more flexible?

ACTIVITIES

* Develop a Plan A and one or more Plan Bs for accomplishing these goals:

a. Playing basketball during high school

b. Getting a scholarship

c. Earning money for sound equipment

d. Getting the summer job you want

e. Playing a music gig

f. Getting the lead in a play

* Ask students to demonstrate some options in dealing with these problems:

a. The person you like turns you down for prom.

b. You don't make the team.

c. Your friends don't call you on the weekend.

d. Your car breaks down.

e. You miss your flight.

f. You injure yourself and have to recover at home for several weeks.

* Ask students to write down a recent disappointment and tell how they reacted, what their goal was, and how they could accomplish it in other ways.

Teacher resource: "Coping with Change in the Workplace," video, $99; Meridian, (800) 727-5507.

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