What are your downtime plans?

How many of us have had times where we have an unexpected lull between sales? How many of us have encountered a roadblock that delays us from a primary goal??

I was thinking about this as I read an article about Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. Not familiar with the names? They are the two astronauts who are unexpectedly stuck on the International Space Station while NASA tries to sort out issues with their vessel, the Starliner. Perhaps “stuck” isn’t the correct word, since NASA has contingency plans to ultimately bring them home safely. I’ll say “unexpectedly delayed” instead. Even so, just what are those two doing while they wait for answers??

This is not some sort of drama from the pages of Apollo 13. Suni and Butch are not in any immediate danger. There’s really a limited amount of action that they can take to affect their spacecraft while the problems are being worked out on earth. Instead of fixating on the barrier to a return home, they are working on variables which they can control.?

The ISS is well-supplied to support crew for extended stays. Therefore, they all have plenty of food, water and air. So, what are our two delayed astronauts doing? Maintenance! Lots and lots of maintenance (and some science too). Rather than twiddle their thumbs, Suni and Butch are making a meaningful contribution to the team by tackling a huge backlog of ISS maintenance tasks.?

Whether they come home on Starliner or wait until February to hitch a ride home on the Dragon capsule, they will leave the ISS a better and more functional place than when they arrived. Their stroke of poor luck will have been turned into an opportunity to help their team. So, while their primary goal was to have returned within 10 days of launch, their secondary goals arguably led to larger and more beneficial contributions.?

I ask again, “what are your downtime plans?” Will you fixate on the roadblock? Or will you turn your attention to meaningful tasks and contributions? Whether you work solo or as part of a team, make sure you have a contingency task list prepared. Just like those Suni and Butch, who were cross-trained and prepared to help at the ISS, be ready to do the same for yourself or your team.