Preparing for A Busy Season

It doesn’t matter if you’re an office professional or a dog musher, when the pressure hits there are common strategies you can use to get through to the hardest times.

“A plan is WHAT, a schedule is WHEN. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done.” – Peter Turla

When Jameson was preparing to lead two teams of dogs to base camp on Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, he said 90% of the challenge was being ready for whatever came. Two teams with 12 Alaskan Huskies each would be completing an intense and incredibly dangerous two-week journey to deliver essential supplies for climbers on the mountain. Alone in one of the most remote wilderness areas in the world, preparing for each element they might encountermeant getting serious about making time for practice, education, equipment upkeep, veterinary care for the dogs, and more.

“Expect the unexpected,” he said, “and then plan as well as you’re able. Streamline, keep it simple, and be ready for anything.”

Let’s look at some top tips from across professions that help set us up for success when we need it most.

Preparation is King

If you do not prepare for busy and/or challenging seasons, you will end up being at the mercy of the process.

· Delegate: If you need to leverage someone else for a project, make sure you arrange that as early as possible. The longer you wait the less likely you are to find someone available to help.

· Plan projects in your calendar: Know what is coming up and schedule time for key projects. If you don’t control your time, somebody else will.

· Extend all of this to your personal life: Too often we prepare at work but leave our personal lives in chaos. Consider meal prep, school carpool arrangements, pet walking, and any other support you may need.

Know Your Resources

Let’s face it – things change rapidly during busy seasons, and the ability to pivot successfully often depends on the resources we have access to and how comfortable we are with them.

· Equipment: Make sure you know what gear and programs you will need to use and create space to practice in them or attend a relevant training. Remember that you will have less time and mental capacity for new things when you are in a busy season, so don’t leave the practice you need until you are knee deep in struggle and inches from a deadline!

· People: Know who your stakeholders are and who will be able to help answer technical questions for each project if you get stuck.

Know Your Boundaries

You are the only one who knows what your limits are, and it is your responsibility to communicate those. Do not suffer in silence!

· Communicate: Leaders are not mind readers. We must be willing to self-advocate rather than letting it stew.

Get Back to the Basics

When we get overwhelmed, it is easy to shut down or become immobilized with stress. When we start to feel that coming on, falling back into the basics can support healthy balance that keeps us motivated and moving forward.

· Focus on what is within your circle of influence: There are many things we care about, but only a few that we can influence. By limiting our energy to the areaswe can impact, we ensure we are putting effort in real areas of change.

· Build your own foundation: You CAN perfect your own system, so invest time in creating an operational style and foundation that is clean, simple, comfortable, and effective for you.

Happy planning and preparation for whatever is in your view. Cheers to taking charge of our lives, rather than letting our lives control us.