How to quit being surprised by unplanned events

Plus reality TV, an Irish playwright, and a boxing champion, but no cats, dogs, or chocolate. Surprised?

Hello and welcome to Academia Made Easier. I am so glad that you are here. 

I recently had a day that did not go as anticipated. At the start of a full day of scheduled meetings, I learned a family member was ill. I spent the day in medical waiting rooms rather than a conference room. Everything worked out: my family member is okay (thankfully!) and the meetings proceeded successfully without me (gasp!). But it all reminded me of the immortal words of Mike Tyson:

“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” 

Plans go sideways for so many reasons. Loved ones get sick. Page proofs show up suddenly, with a required 48-hour turnaround. Basements flood, resulting in days lost to home maintenance issues. Student plagiarism cases suck up time and energy. Childcare plans fail. Flights are delayed. Wifi is unreliable. Parking is unavailable. Meeting starts are delayed until quorum is reached.  Highways are closed due to bad weather. Online submission portals go down at the worst possible time. Invited speakers cancel at the last minute. Luggage goes missing.

The fact that unplanned things happen is not surprising. What is surprising is how easy it is to be thrown off course by unplanned things.

The truth is that a lot of unplanned stuff is actually predictable. For example:

If you have kids, parents, a partner, pets, and/or a human body, illness is inevitably going to derail your schedule at some point.

If you have a journal article out for peer review, reviews will come back eventually, requiring some kind of response.

If you have an article or book accepted for publication, page proofs will arrive at some unspecificed time, requiring a very quick turnaround. 

If you are editing a book with multiple chapter authors, there is a non-zero possibility that one of those authors will submit their work much later than requested – or possibly just disappear entirely, never to reply to your emails or make eye contact with you again. 

If you own property (home, vehicle, appliances, computer, etc.), something will inevitably break down, creating stress and unforeseen costs because while your home insurance covers water damage, it does not cover mold, and even though the mold is a direct result of the water damage, the insurance company that has been happily taking your money for over a decade sees things differently. (The last one might not be hypothetical.)

The fact that so much unplanned stuff is predictable is good news, because it means we can be prepared. And that is the subject of today’s small thing to try immediately.

One Small Thing to Try Immediately: Expect (and Plan for) the Expected

In the 1890s, Oscar Wilde wrote, “To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect." A thoroughly modern intellect sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Here is how to get there.

1. Consider certainty and uncertainty in terms of both “what” and “when”. Imagine all things falling into one of four categories. 

• Scheduled. These are predictable events with predictable timing. They follow a set schedule. Application deadlines for national grant competitions. Convocation dates. Commemorative days. Your mother’s birthday.

• Anticipated. Here we have predictable stuff with unpredictable timing. We can expect them to happen — someday. A loved one will need your help. A journalist will request your expertise on a current event you want to comment on. Your department chair will schedule a meeting to approve the graduation list.

• Murphy’s Law. This category is for unpredictable things with predictable timing. You have scheduled an important invited talk? A job interview? A much-needed vacation? There is a chance that some unpredicted thing will happen that will risk throwing you off your game. 

• Blindsides. These are the truly unexpected things, both in terms of what and when. Lottery wins. Accidents. Getting voted out by your alliance on Survivor when your alliance has the majority.

  

2. Add the scheduled events to your calendar. When people fail to plan for the truly predictable stuff, it creates unnecessary stress for them and everyone around them. It can also inconvenience and annoy others. Not good!

But here is the good news: it is super-easy to avoid being surprised by predictable things with predictable timing. Simply add them to your electronic calendar (on a recurring basis where appropriate) and set up calendar alerts. For example, you can set aside 15 minutes and look up and add all of the following to your calendar: 

• Family members’ birthdays and anniversaries. 

• Your kids’ school schedule, including no school days and early dismissals.

• Department, Faculty, and University meetings you are expected to attend. 

• Deadlines for university processes relevant to your job. 

• Any other deadlines you are aware of (e.g., journal resubmission, grant application, syllabus completion).

3. Create contingency plans for the anticipated stuff. Most of the items in this category require coverage and/or time, so plan for this. Here are some questions to inspire your thinking:

• Who will pick up your kids from daycare if you aren’t able to do so? Have you discussed this with them?

• Who can chair the meeting if you can’t make it? Do they have a clear agenda they can work from?

• Who can teach your class if you aren’t available? Do you have a lecture prepared in advance to provide them? Alternatively, have you built some slack into the class schedule to allow you to simply cancel a class session if needed?

• How much time will reviewing the page proofs for your book or responding to reviewer comments for your journal article take once you receive them? (Hint: more than you think.) Have you protected time for this in your calendar?

• How many hours do you expect to be necessary for yet-to-be-scheduled meetings this month? Have you protected time for this in your calendar?

• What is your plan if a chapter author fails to provide their manuscript on time? Have you communicated this clearly to all authors?

4. Address as much of the Murphy’s Law stuff as possible. If you have an important event that you don’t want to be derailed, you won’t be able to anticipate and prepare for everything. But you can anticipate and prepare for some things. Imagine the things that could create problems, and then address what you can. Technology not working for your big talk? Good thing you brought printed speaking notes and handouts of your slides. Luggage missing for your job interview? Not great, but you had your outfit and necessities in your carry-on. Minor work crisis while you are on family vacation? Thankfully your out-of-office message provides people with clear information on who to contact while you are away.

5. Create some cushion in your schedule for the blindsides. There is no way to prepare for some of the things life tosses at us. And not all unexpected things are bad: I once organized a career development panel in which all of the panellists spoke about the importance of serendipity in their careers. But whether the blindside is an opportunity or a crisis, having some flexible time in your schedule will help you navigate it.

Of course, after you schedule the known stuff, create contingencies for the anticipated stuff and backup systems for the Murphy’s Law stuff, and establish space in your calendar for the blindsides, you might discover that you don’t have a lot of extra time in your schedule. This is valuable information. Use this understanding of how much time and energy you truly have available for new things to avoid overcommitting.

How do you “expect the unexpected”? Please let me know on Twitter (tag me at @loleen_berdahl), or hit the comment button and share it below. I would love to hear from you!

Chipping Away: What I Have Been Up To

A quick update on some of my own activities since my last newsletter, since I have your attention:

• In my June Skills Agenda column, I write about a doctoral professional development initiative at Western University. One of the things I particularly like about this initiative is that the project leaders are committed to sharing resources with other universities and have established it with a creative commons license. Given the value of student professional development and skills training, I find this spirit of collaboration admirable.

• I co-facilitated the Centre for Higher Education Research and Development’s Heads and Chairs program. This was my fourth year co-leading the program and once again I was inspired by the dedication and commitment of academic department chairs and heads and assistant and associate deans. These academic leadership positions are important and challenging roles. I encourage you to consider sending a note of appreciation to the department chair in your life!

• My twin daughters finished high school! 🥰😮🥲 This should by no means feel surprising - I have had many, many years to prepare for this - and yet it still feels a bit shocking. I am so incredibly proud of these two amazing young women. 👩‍🎓🧑‍🎓

Until next time…

In my part of the world, we are heading into the heart of summer. Saskatchewan is stunning in the summertime and I plan to make the most of it. If you are also planning some time off, I encourage you to take a true break. Trust me, your work will be waiting for you when you get back.

Stay well, my colleagues. 

P.S. Returning to Mike Tyson, I still remember watching his 1997 fight with Evander Holyfield and seeing Tyson bite off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear. Talk about unexpected! Not being a sports fan, I really only associate Tyson with two things: his quote about plans and the ear-biting incident. The fact that I am writing about him at all surprises me. But that is the thing about writing: expect the unexpected.

Want to help support my chocolate habit? You are very sweet. Buy me a coffee is a site that allows readers to show their appreciation for the unpaid labour of writers, artists, and other creatives. Check it out!

If you are interested in having me lead faculty success and/or graduate student success workshops at your campus, please ask your university to contact me!

--

Loleen Berdahl, Ph.D.: I am a twin mother, wife, runner, cat lover, and chocolate enthusiast. I spend far too much time on Twitter and binge-watching television, and my house could be a lot cleaner. During the work hours, I am the Executive Director of the  Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. I am the author of the University Affairs Skills Agenda column and my most recent books are Work Your Career: Get What You Want from Your Social Sciences or Humanities PhD and Explorations: Conducting Empirical Research in Canadian Political Science.