What A Flat Tire Taught Me About Planning

Life doesn’t always go according to plan, but having a plan can help.

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from my husband in the late afternoon. The first words out of his mouth were, “You’re not gonna believe this…”

Of course, in my head, I’m freaking out. “What?”

“I’m almost home, but I’ve got a flat tire.”

Clearly, this wasn’t awesome news, but it wasn’t the worst-case scenario I was imagining.

But the tire was flat. Really flat. And the spare was like fifteen years old. So I checked with our insurance agent and called a tow truck.

(I’m also grateful that this happened in our neighborhood and not while he was driving down the mountain.)

The kids and I walked 2 blocks to where he was and hung out while we waited for the tow truck.

That evening we discovered that the car needed 4 new tires. I ordered them online so they could be installed at Costco the next morning.

Now I knew we were going to need new tires for that car sometime this year, so I had been setting aside money to pay for them. At least that base was covered.

What wasn’t on my schedule was the alignment that the car desperately needed.

Because of scheduling conflicts, I wasn’t able to drop off the car as I had initially planned. Instead, the kids and I ended up waiting at the repair shop. Before we headed there, we ate a quick lunch and packed drawing supplies and books so the kids would have something to do while I was on a call.

Even though this tire drama wasn’t on my plan for the week, I was able to roll with it. That’s partly because, over the years, I’ve learned to build margin into my day and budget so that inconveniences don’t become emergencies.

This is part of the reason I care so much about planning and habits. They help life run more smoothly even when unexpected situations arise.

Here’s the thing… I could live life by the seat of my pants, without a plan and without anchors.

But because I believe our daily lives matter before God, I want to live intentionally. I want what I do to be for His glory.

That means seeking to be a faithful steward of my days so I can be a good wife, mom, teacher, employee, friend, and leader.

I care about planning and habits because our daily lives matter. Does ever life interrupt my best plans? Absolutely!

But these interruptions remind me that I’m not God and can’t control everything. But by stewarding my time and resources, I recognize that I’m not living for myself.

Daily planning and habits aren’t about crazy wake-up times or elaborate morning routines. They’re about helping you live well.

I’d love to hear from you. Share a story about a time when your plans have been interrupted by life but having a plan helped.