When the taps run dry, do you have a backup?

I woke up today, walked to the sink, turned the tap…

Nothing but distant splutters.

No water in the apartment.

I text my Airbnb host.

There is no water in the entire city today due to an emergency. The water should be back on before 5pm.

Great.

I’m in Tbilisi, Georgia (East Europe), a place recently experiencing civil unrest.

After washing in the shower with a keg of water I had just bought from the market that morning, I had many thoughts.

Man, we are so reliant on things being the way they always were.

What would life look like if water was out for a week?

What if you had no electricity or Internet?

As I move into my fourth decade, I’ve been developing a keen interest in a thing called ‘redundancy.’

Redundancy means having extra layers of protection so that if one system, tool, or resource fails, another is immediately available to take its place.

It’s about eliminating single points of failure and ensuring that no one mishap, accident, or oversight can completely derail you.

I’ve been applying this to my financial life in the last few years (getting multiple bank accounts, even multiple residencies in different countries).

But there are still many areas where I wouldn't have a fallback option if something were to fail.

Like a dwindling water supply.

That’s big boy stuff, but it’s significant, especially when you experience it first-hand.

Interestingly, ‘redundancy’ can be applied to almost every aspect of life.

From finances, to food to your personal data (backed up, I hope!).

It may sound miserable, but those who will thrive are continually aware of what might fail and how to ensure there are always backups.

A personal brand is valuable if you have a job and want backup options.

This is essentially being known by people on the Internet.

A strong personal brand creates redundancy in your career and income.

Having people who know you and follow you is becoming a vital asset in a chaotic world.

(Think about other reasons why this might be).

You grow this awareness through creating and sharing content.

So that when you need income or connections, you have people you can reach out to who know you.

You can start now.

My Online Writing Alchemy course gives you the blueprint for making an impact through writing—and making sure people know you.

Get started here.

Alex