You Have to Build in Buffers

(Buffers allow you to respond, not react…)

This morning has been a fun scramble of trying to get a bunch of things done, WITHOUT the internet! I’m house sitting in my old house, and last night I think a mouse chewed through one of the cables that runs the internet through to the main house.  
 
It got me thinking about what we all rely on, and what we individually just believe will be there for us (and what will be mighty frustrating when it / if it goes away!).  

There’s a lot to be said for ‘contingency planning’, or ‘redundancy’. Taking the time out to secure your business will still run if you run into difficulty; making sure you are resilient enough to not ‘blow up’ (emotionally, practically or mentally) if something small like this happens; ensuring that you have things in place or food in the house should the important stuff ‘fail’ for a short while or a longer period of time.  

Having a buffer allows you to feel secure even when the stuff that makes you feel safe and that is ‘normal’ falls away. It means you still have the ability to respond rather than react. That’s good for YOUR health, and the sanity of all those around you too.  

So what are these buffers? Here are some (varied!) examples:  

• They say you should have 6 months money in the bank, just in case things happen (good advice for life, or business!) – I like this, it gives you choice 

• I have a dongle that the business pays for, so I can work anywhere I like, even if wifi is not available (I just bring it with me!) because we still can’t actually demand to have it even if we want it and need it.  

• Cultivating friendships over the longer term; people who know you well enough to call you out when you are lying to yourself, and who can support you when you are in trouble, without even asking what’s needed because they know you so well 

• Having a list of food staples that you just know to replenish because you can always make some kind of nourishing dinner (in my case: eggs, onions, peas, chickpeas, olive oil and many many herbs & spices) 

What are the ‘buffers’ you already have in place? What do you need to put in place?  
 
This week, have a think about what you can’t live without (easily) in your life and business, and start to make some lists or figure out what the buffers are that will make you feel safe or make it easy to deal with NOT having those things for a while. You will feel so much better once you start putting some of these contingencies in. I promise.