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How prepared would you be if your whole world changed in an instant? Do you have a plan in place for major life interruptions like the loss of a job or a medical emergency?

If you’ve never asked yourself these questions, then now is the time.

Life happens to us all. Unfortunately, some things happen without warning. These moments can leave us feeling powerless and overwhelmed, but we can do something to give ourselves an advantage long before things begin to spiral out of control.

What I’ve found to be true is that when I plan for a rainy day, I can lighten the load for my future self, even if things are going fine right now. That’s not to say that I’m looking for bad things to happen, but rather that I’m operating in my agency today by protecting myself and my family from potential setbacks tomorrow.

I’m sure that if you took a closer look, then you would notice areas of vulnerability in your life too, even if things are calm right now.

 

How to Conduct a Vulnerability Check 

Here are some questions to ask yourself when reviewing common areas of vulnerability:

  • Cash – Do you have an emergency savings fund in place for instances of job loss or unexpected medical bills? Are you meeting your other savings goals? How are you managing any debt?
  • Capacity – Is there margin in your life for additional responsibilities that could be added to your plate? Do you have the emotional bandwidth to handle your current demands?
  • Community – Are you nurturing one or two relationships that pour into you and vice versa? Who can you lean on in good times and bad?
  • Competence – Are you maximizing your potential to gain knowledge, build skills, and attain wealth? Are you leaving anything on the table that could help you sustain in tough times?
  • Contingency plan – Do you have a plan B at the ready if things suddenly change? Have you positioned yourself to have other options if your current job, support systems, and resources fall apart?

Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to prepare for any and everything that could happen. That’s a sure way to give in to worry and fear, and that’s not productive or beneficial to you. What you want to do is to assess which area you’re currently the most vulnerable in and work to stack the cards in your favor.

Just take the area of cash, for example. According to Bankrate, nearly one in every four Americans is living without an emergency savings set up. If you fall in this category, you can take the step of establishing a savings account at the bank or credit union of your choice and have a set amount from your paycheck auto-transfer into the account every time you get paid. Even an extra $5 is a good start towards becoming less vulnerable in this area.

Of course, money isn’t the only way to increase your capacity for the unexpected. You can look at the frustrations in your life and determine where better boundaries are needed. You can nurture the relationships you want to see grow by committing to meeting up with one or two friends for lunch. You can strengthen your competence by developing skills, keeping your resume current, and staying connected to your professional network through events and social media.

You can learn even more ways to prepare for the future in this episode of the podcast. By taking the steps to move from reaction to preparation, you can become a woman who trusts God, plans ahead, and operates in wisdom. Yes, my friend, today, you can begin the process of becoming a woman of resilience.

Highlights from Today’s Episode

  • Activating agency
  • Resisting worry
  • Cultivating options

Related Resources

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Other Stuff to Check Out

Let’s Talk!

  1. What’s keeping you up at night? Name one area in your life that causes you to constantly worry?
  2. Which strategies and resources would help protect you against vulnerability in this area?
  3. What relationships do you need to nurture in this season to help build your resilience for what the next season may bring?

 

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