Avoid Delays: Leo Career Prediction This Week!

How This All Started

Right, so I was trying to get my own project planning sorted this Monday morning, feeling totally stuck about deadlines, you know how it goes. Kept pushing things back like last week. Then I remembered Leo, my buddy who’s always juggling three jobs and a side hustle, constantly fretting about missing opportunities. Thought: “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could help him (and honestly, myself!) spot potential slowdowns BEFORE they happen?” Kinda like a heads-up for work stuff. That’s where the “Leo Career Prediction This Week” idea popped into my head.

The Messy First Attempts

So I grabbed my notebook. Wrote down everything I could think of that usually messes with Leo’s plans. Like:

• Communication breakdowns: Emails vanishing, Slack messages ignored – happens all the time.
• Waiting for other people: Needing feedback or approvals from bosses or clients who drag their feet.
• Last-minute fire drills: Random urgent tasks popping up, wrecking the whole schedule.
• His own “maybe later” habit: Let’s be real, we all procrastinate on tricky stuff.

Scribbled it all out. Felt good! But then I thought, “Right, what the heck do I actually DO with this list?” Just giving Leo a list of problems isn’t helping him avoid the delay. That’s when I started banging my head against the desk a bit. Needed to turn this into something actionable.

The Research (aka Googling & Reflecting)

Started thinking about how people actually spot issues early. Looked at some basic project management stuff, nothing fancy. Key things that clicked:

• Ask “What might block this?” Before starting anything big, force yourself to think of one possible snag.
• Track small wins AND stumbles: Writing down even tiny delays helps see patterns.
• Be honest about effort: We all suck at guessing how long things take. Double it!

Okay, lightbulb moment! Prediction isn’t magic; it’s just being prepared for the usual crap.

Building Leo’s “Anti-Delay” Plan

Time to make something useful. Based on his world, here’s what I put together for him:

• Monday Morning Forecast: Pick ONE critical task for the week. Write it down. Then write down the one most likely thing that could stall it (e.g., “Need design approval from Kim” or “Researching that data report – might find gaps”). Simple!
• The Wednesday Checkpoint: Mid-week, take 5 minutes. Did that predicted snag happen? Or something else popped up? Just note it down. No big analysis needed, just awareness.
• Friday Reflection: Quick look back. Was the prediction right? Even partially? Did acknowledging a potential problem on Monday help address it faster? Or just make him feel less surprised?

The whole point isn’t being perfect. It’s shining a little light ahead of where you’re walking, so you maybe avoid the rock in the path, or at least don’t break your ankle tripping over it.

Sharing It & Early Thoughts

Sent Leo a super quick voice note explaining it – super casual, like “Dude, try this maybe?” Focused on making it stupid simple, almost no effort. His reply? “Huh, sounds less weird than I expected. Might try that Monday thing.” Good enough start!

What I learned: “Predicting” career stuff isn’t about crystal balls. It’s practicing spotting patterns in your own mess. Noticing what usually trips you up lets you prepare just a tiny bit more. That tiny bit might be enough to avoid a big delay. Gotta keep seeing how this simple thing plays out for him. Feels practical, not fluffy.