Avoid Disaster by Planning Your Work

A few weeks ago, Jonathan shared a great article, How to Take a Blogging Vacation. I wasn’t planning a vacation but the article made me realize those tips make good sense for any blogger and offer a strategic plan, especially in the case of unforeseen disasters.

I was in the process of planning future topics, of a general nature, for my blog that could be set to auto-post at a later date. I wanted to have 4 posts in queue at all times, 2 per week, 2 weeks ahead. I also wanted to get ahead with other writing projects. It was a great plan (and it still is) but during the planning stage I became severely ill.

Most of the time, we believe we’re super human and can work through any little bug that comes along. This may be true for the common cold, hay fever, allergies, etc, but what if you get the flu bug like I did? The last thing on your mind will be work.

When I first felt this little virus coming on I planned to contact people I work with to explain that I’d be late with some work, my intentions were very good. Unfortunately, this little germ hit so hard and so fast that it was a week before I could email anyone and it was to apologize for not turning in any work and not being able to contact them sooner. Luckily, I work with awesome people and all were very understanding.

If I had implemented this plan sooner, things wouldn’t have become an ordeal and posting would have gone on regardless of whether or not I was able to get out of bed. There’s no way any of us can foresee getting ill. I felt the bug, thought I had time to get ready for a day or two in bed, and I was wrong.

Jonathan mentions in his article that no one has to know you’ve gone on vacation if you simply plan ahead and set a few things up. This advice also rings true for illness and family emergencies. We can’t plan our crises or emergencies, but we can be better prepared for them when they do happen. This is a lesson I’ve learned the hard way—or just a little too late, because I was planning to implement Jonathan’s tips as a good back-up plan.

Don’t get caught with the flu worrying about your posting schedule. Make plans now to get ahead and stay ahead. This material can be short and cover a general topic; it does not have to be in depth. The point is to have something set up in case disaster does strike. That way, your readers aren’t left hanging and wondering what happened. They won’t know anything unless you choose to tell them.

Written by Patti Stafford from Patti Stafford
Posted on August 28th, 2009 and filed under Writing
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