Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.
First 72 hours after a major setback
Straight after a redundancy call, a bad diagnosis or a failed bid, the mind races toward worst cases while sleep, food and judgement all take a hit. Setting a short holding pattern for three days, with basic care, one trusted person told and no irreversible decisions, gives the shock time to settle before you act on it.
First tasks
- Text one trusted person a two-line summary of what happened
- Write a list of decisions you are parking until day four
- Eat one proper meal and drink some water before the evening
- Save any angry drafts to a folder instead of sending them
Plain written account of what happened
Setbacks get retold in the head dozens of times a day, and each retelling drifts further from the facts toward blame or catastrophe. Writing one plain page, facts on one side and your interpretations on the other, gives you a stable version to return to and to share with an adviser, union rep or doctor.
First tasks
- Write the dated sequence of events on one page, facts only
- List your interpretations and fears in a separate column
- Gather the related letters, emails and results into one folder
- Reread the account after a week and correct anything that drifted
Setback impact map across your life
Big knocks feel total, as if everything is broken, when usually two or three parts of life are hit and the rest still stand. Mapping work, money, health, relationships, home and sense of self, and marking each as hit, shaken or intact, shows where to spend energy first and what is still holding you up.
First tasks
- Draw six boxes for work, money, health, relationships, home and self
- Mark each box hit, shaken or intact with one line of reason
- Circle the two domains to focus on this month
- Redraw the map three months on and compare the two versions
