What I’m Learning About Rebuilding #1 | Why Backup Plans Are Not Failure

What I’m learning right now: How to have a plan for setbacks or delays

I started rebuilding from scratch a few years ago. And I’m still building.

Up until now, I had been going all in; investing in multiple streams and trying different things, but everything was balanced on the assumption that

“this should work out.”

I planned for my vocation to grow gradually alongside my day job in two years.

I planned to invest fully in living in one location so I could clearly see whether it would pay off.

My intention was sustainability.

When the vocation didn’t grow, and the location wasn’t right, I pivoted quickly. Only to invest 100% in the new plan. I didn’t diversify.

I didn’t have a plan in case of setbacks or delays.

I never asked: “If this goes wrong, do I still avoid X?”

If the answer was no, the plan wasn’t safe.

And “X” was always the step back I wanted to avoid.

I needed a plan so that even if plan A failed, I was still moving forward.

I needed a backup so I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket.

This contradicted everything I thought about rebuilding.

I had been operating under the motivational advice to remove all backup plans: ensure A works.

But when you’re rebuilding, you don’t actually know if plan A is the right fit. You’re still putting down your foundations. You’re still exploring.

Now, when I plan my future moves, I always ask:

“If this goes wrong, do I still avoid X?”

There’s no certainty in life, we can’t control everything.

But we can place safety nets and lifelines wherever possible, while still working toward the best outcome.