sick-girlHere I sit at the end of January.  One month into 2013 already, and I’m already behind.

When I carefully crafted my list of goals and to-dos for 2013, they all seemed so doable.  Of course, I could produce one webinar a month.  Write 2 blog posts a week (X2 blogs)?  No problem.  Why not write an eBook and start a tweet chat too.  I could certainly attend 1 or 2 networking events a week.

In my mind, I could see myself starting fresh on January 2, conquering each goal with ease and grace.  By the end of January, I would have guests booked for my Tweet Chat, a webinar under my belt, and my blogs would be overflowing with insightful, new content.  And did I mention that I would have a new client or two?

Well we all know what comes from the best laid plans and all of that nonsense.

What started out as something so easy, turned out not to be so…well, easy.

So, where did it all go wrong?

I did not plan for illness.  I didn’t foresee that the kids in my daughter’s Kindergarten class would all get sick at the same time.  Seriously, half of her class was home sick on any given day with coughs, colds, the stomach bug, and one confirmed case of the flu.  Lucky for us we avoided the flu, but she caught the cough and the cold.  No school for her meant little work time for me.

And I certainly didn’t think that I would get sick too.  Twice!

Thanks to my latest bout, I had to cancel two business meetings and opt out of a great networking event on Monday night this week.  My work production has been anything but stellar as I’m battling headaches, a bad head cold, and a fever.  I’m just hoping I am well enough to speak about intellectual property at an Entrepreneurship on Campus event on Saturday.  (If you happen to be at Bryant University this Saturday, I’ll be the one with bright red nose that sounds like a frog.)

What are we to do when the unexpected happens?  Get an attitude adjustment and deal with it.

The unexpected happens every day, especially when you have kids.  You can’t plan for it.  So, adjust the time-line.  Rework the schedule.  Prioritize your to-do lists.  Get help if you can.

Another thing I know I could do better is set realistic expectations.  Even if everything was perfect, the odds of me accomplishing everything I had on my to-do list in one month were stacked against me.

The projects on my list are big.  So rather than trying to accomplish everything at once, hoping all will go right in the end, I’ve decided to focus on one thing at a time.  I have also made a 6 month plan, a 12 month plan, and a long-term plan.  Some things will just have to wait until I can get to them or until I can afford help.

It’s not easy to admit this, but I know the world won’t end if I have to push off my first webinar until February (or heaven forbid, April.)

Now I’m just hoping that my daughter doesn’t bring anything else home from school, because I’ve got big plans for February!