In Life, Do You Have a 'Plan B?'

I enjoy writing my blogs. My blogs are written from my point of view and, I realize, not everyone will agree with the words I write. I am not adverse to differing opinions; I rather enjoy reading what others have to say about my ideas. However, all things must end and, it seems, my blogging days are numbered.

Since 1969, I have not had vision in my right eye due to a mishap while serving in the Air Force. I’ve done fine with my mono vision until a few years ago, when I was diagnosed with macular degeneration in my good eye. At first, it wasn’t much of a problem. Lately, though, I find it difficult to use a word processor, even with a large font. Writing short articles used to require less than 30 minutes--today I’m spending more time than I desire. I get frustrated using a magnifying glass to write my words.

I will be going in a new direction soon. As of now, I am not certain what this will be, but I’m confident that I have quite a few skills that others will find useful. I've always had a "Plan B." This brings me to the subject of this blog. Do you have a Plan B?

So many people I talk to are very skilled at what they do but, should something happen where they lose the ability to perform that skill, they don’t have a backup plan. In the computing world, it is important to back up your data. If a hard drive dies and you don’t have a backup, you’ll lose all your files, pictures, songs, etc. This does not make for a good start to your day.

What is your backup plan? Are you learning a new skill, one that is different from that which you are using at present? If not, could it be that you are you reading less and watching TV more? Do you find yourself spending too much time on Facebook? Is it impossible to turn off your cell phone for more than one hour? These can be distractions to your acquiring new skills--skills that could mean the difference between having a job and being unemployed.

Take some time right now to assess your Plan B. If you don’t have one, invest a few hours each week to learning something new. Go to a museum, a library, or just spend some time alone reading or listening to instructional audio recordings. You may find that there is a new world out there, waiting for you to contribute your view, your opinion, and your skills. You never know if tomorrow is the day you will write your last blog.