How easy is it for you to adapt to a sudden change of plans? I had to find out this week when my daughter had an emergency appendectomy in Phoenix. They told her it was a “simple” operation, and she went in thinking there would be no problem. But simple to a doctor does not mean easy for a patient. She was sent home with the admonishment not to lift more than 5 pounds, to rest for the week and not to drive. How does that define “simple” when you have an 8-month old, twenty-pound baby at home?

I spent a day wrapping up my priority activities and then flew out to help. Since it was just before Christmas, I did not have any out-of-town training days scheduled, which made it easier for me. I’d been plugging away at the Christmas tasks whenever they could fit in, so I was comfortable heading out for a week, even with house guests arriving next week.

With all of our pre-booked, busy schedules, it can be difficult to suddenly have to switch directions. Yet sometimes we have no choice. That is what being organized is about. If you are organized, it takes away some of the stress involved in having an emergency detour. Emergencies by their nature are in themselves. That is a time you need to be able to be as calm as possible under the circumstances.

I often define “being organized” as being prepared for any opportunity. While emergency surgery might not fit the category of “opportunity,” it was an opportunity for me to extend my help. In an office situation, if someone had to leave unexpectedly for a week or two, could someone else easily cover for them? That accountability is one of the key points in my productivity training where we set up systems that make it easy for anyone to be able to cover for another person.