How Contingency Plans Can Help in Our Daily Lives
If you were planning a big outdoor event, like a wedding, wouldn’t you want a contingency plan, in case it rained? Most likely, you would agree that would be a good idea. But how often in life do you make plans, with no alternative arrangement, should your original plan not work out? Though often you and I are lucky and Plan A turns out to a great success, it can be a wise idea to think about and create a Plan B.
This has nothing to do with negative thinking. Many superstitious people believe that if you entertain doubt, you will jinx all your goals and your desired outcome will definitely fall through. If that is your belief system, it makes sense that you may be reluctant to pursue a second option if your first plan doesn’t work out.However, rather than thinking of creating a contingency plan as putting out a negative vibe and thwarting your own desires, you can think of your contingency plan as an emergency alternative when things don’t go exactly as you had thought they would.
The definition of contingency is: a provision for an unforeseen event or circumstance.If your goal is to feel peaceful inside and have less stress, which is the deepest desire for all of us—then having a backup plan for your life is a great idea. Here’s why: having a contingency plan can give you the confidence to know that whatever happens, you are going to be OK.
Here’s an example. Imagine that your dream is to become a flight attendant and travel all over the world. You picture yourself meeting new people, having great adventures and even learning new languages. Then the unexpected happens. You interview with all the major and smaller airlines, and though the response you get is very positive, you don’t end up with the job.Now, if you’ve already arranged your life so that your only happiness can come from this precise job, with no contingency plan, you are likely to feel crushed.
But if you have a Plan B, then you can still do everything you need to do to make the possibility of an airline job a reality, but you can feel the security and safety that comes with a backup plan.The truth is that you don’t really know at this point what will make you happy. You think it’s this particular job. But if that job isn’t available to you and you stay open to another possibility—whatever the Plan B of your contingency plan is that awaits you—you may be surprised to find that ultimately you are happier with the unexpected chain of events, leading you down a new path.
I truly believe that it’s always best to follow your dreams and even to chase after them. I am a firm believer in doing everything in your power to make your dreams come true. Get the education it takes, knock on the right doors, and hone your skills and talents in the direction of your most desired destiny. In other words, do everything in your control.That’s step one. But the next step is releasing all of it to destiny. After you’ve done everything in your control, you no longer have control of the outcome. You can’t force a desired result. You can only move towards it. You can pray for it. You can ask for help.
But if, ultimately, the door you were knocking on refuses to open, then for your own happiness, it only makes sense to pursue a different goal with equal zest and passion. Trust that whatever the exact path that you are put on, you can soar and bring out the best in yourself.Ironically, as you move forward with your contingency plan, you may be surprised that the door that was previously closed to you now opens. It’s funny how in life, the journey from point A to point B is not always a straight line. Your contingency plan may simply be a detour.
If the wedding you were planning gets rained out, it’s only a disaster if you had never considered the possibility that this may occur. But if you have a contingency plan that allows you to take all the festivities indoors, the joy and fun of the day can continue with no interruption. A contingency plan is not a way to jinx the outcome you want, but rather an intelligent and constructive way to make sure that, no matter what, you can be happy, productive, confident and resourceful.
