Greetings today from Las Vegas, where I didn’t expect to be. Las Vegas was supposed to be an overnight stop during my road trip from Denver to San Francisco, but that was before I found out that I had a broken windshield and that my insurance company had no idea I was driving my current car, but thought I was still driving my last car which I sold more than a year ago.
Many phone calls ensued, and I think all will be well after tomorrow when I (a) get a new windshield and (b) roll by a Las Vegas Nationwide for their inspection so that they can call my North Carolina Nationwide and say, “OK, this car qualifies for collision insurance.”
A bit freakish, frightening (I have no insurance?!) and frustrating, as you can imagine.
Point is, though: if I didn’t have a few dollars in the bank, a non-hurried schedule for getting to CA, and a good night’s sleep last night — I could have easily blown a fuse. Fortunately, I had the emotional, physical, and practical buffers that I needed to deal with this unexpected stress.
Writ larger and more corporately — our businesses also need buffers. Buffers of money, time, and calm to absorb the inevitable surprises. Sure, we want to run our businesses “lean”. But “lean” doesn’t mean “emaciated.” I read one time that elite distance runners sometimes have compromised immune systems because they have no fat reserves. Maybe I’m mis-remembering, but you get the idea.
