Your Contingencies: Planning for the Unexpected
Life rarely unfolds exactly as planned. Even the most thoughtful goals and carefully aligned plans will be tested by unexpected events, which is why you’ll want to have contingencies in place. That’s what we talk about on Episode 1191 of The BIGG Success Show Podcast. Click the player to listen now, or read the summary below.
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The Fable of the Farmer and His Donkey
Once upon a time, there lived a farmer and his donkey. One day, that ol’ donkey fell into a well. He cried and cried and cried, while the farmer tried and tried and tried to decide what to do. Finally, he decided the donkey was too old to be of any use anyway. Besides, the well was dry; it just needed to be sealed up so nothing else could fall into it. The farmer recruited his neighbors to help him. They picked up their shovels and started throwing dirt into the well.
The donkey saw the dirt flying, all over him. He quickly grasped what was going on. And he wanted no part of it. He let out a cry that no one could ignore. He cried again. And again. Then, the crying stopped. The farmer leaned over the edge of the well. He couldn’t believe what he saw. Dirt was falling all over the donkey, but he would just shake it off. Then, take a step up. Shake it off. Take a step up. Until, he was able to step out of the well and trot off.
Which brings us to the moral of the story … Even an ass can get out of a hole! Seriously, you can cry all you want, but it probably won’t get you anywhere. Rather, whatever hole you find yourself in, shake it off. Then take the next step. Repeat, until you find a way to get free from the obstacle. That’s what we’ll talk about in this episode.
Why Your Contingencies Matter
Contingencies are Step 6 in our Life Map Course series. A contingency is the surprise on your way to BIGG success. One side is what you expect to happen, the other side is what actually happened.
Why do contingencies keep you moving?
A solid plan helps you move forward. But a flexible plan helps you keep moving forward. Contingencies are your alternate routes — the plans that help you adapt when life happens: Illness, getting laid off, family responsibilities.
Or even unexpected opportunities: A job promotion, a new career opportunity, your dream home comes on the market.
Without contingencies, one disruption can knock you off course. But when you build contingencies into your Life Map, surprise doesn’t equal setback. It just means it’s time to choose a different route. So instead of getting knocked offline – You stay in motion.
Three Smart Ways to Respond to Life’s Surprises
1) Conduct a Risk Assessment
Not every surprise needs your attention. In the Life Map Course, you focus on what’s both impactful and probable. If a potential disruption isn’t both, it’s not material — and it doesn’t need a contingency plan.
2. Create a Plan B
Look at your BIGG, meaningful goals and ask what could realistically get in the way. Then create a simpler version that still moves you forward.
Our Life Map Course takes holistic approach, so think: personal, professional, and financial goals.
For example:
- If your personal goal requires an hour a day, your contingency might be 15 minutes a day.
- If your professional goal depends on someone else’s involvement, your contingency might be a solo version of the same action.
- If your financial goal includes an investment, your contingency might be a scaled-down starter version.
3. Use the Two-Route Rule
For every important goal, define two paths:
- One for normal circumstances
- One for challenging circumstances
Planning for Real Life — Not a Perfect One
The business world teaches us to predict the future, but entrepreneurs know you can’t predict the future in a world of chaos and volatility, so they don’t try. They go out and create the future. And that’s what contingency planning helps you do.
Contingencies don’t replace your goals. They protect them by helping you stay consistent when life is unpredictable.
Common Contingency Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming everything will go according to plan – When you expect perfection, the first disruption feels like failure.
Creating contingencies that are too complex – A good contingency should be simple, something you could activate immediately without needing a new plan.
Free Resource
Because being able to respond to surprises is so important, we have a free download to go with this episode. Identify what might get in your way and create simple, realistic backup plans to stay on track when life gets unpredictable. Click here to get it.
Your BIGG Takeaway
Contingencies don’t mean you expect failure. They mean you’re prepared for real life, not a perfect life.
So far in our Life Map Course series, we’ve talked about:
Step 1: Your Baseline
Step 2: Your Vision
Step 3: Your Values
Step 4: Your Mission
Step 5: Your Goals
Step 6: Your Contingencies
Join us next time when we’ll bring it all together with Step 7: Your Life Map — the complete picture of your personal, professional, and financial future. Follow our podcast in your favorite app so you don’t miss it.
Here’s to your BIGG success!
George “The Professor” & Mary-Lynn
Co-Founders, BIGG Success
