What's Your Plan B?

Sabyasachi Sengupta helps you turn adversity in life into your benefit. Tied to his own personal story and his professional and personal experiences with adversity and setbacks, Sabyasachi shares with you a great getting-started on preparing for adversity manual in his book "What's Your Plan B?". The book also includes references, quotes and suggestions from other people at various positions of companies, some of which Sabyasachi has personally consulted and interviewed.

Expect your new plan B

The book delivers on its promise. Preparation is key or you will be planning for failure. "What's Your Plan B?" is the tool to apply to your life if you do not want to lose your benefits in life. Targeting both professional employees as well as entrepreneurs, you'll get to learn about why you need to actively think about adversity by telling from his own experience. Sabyasachi then continues on to describe 4 main areas where adversity may hit you.

That section he concludes with a practical self-test, which I found very useful. The result of that test may be a serious wake-up call for you! Especially if you discover that ignorance isn't a solution in times like global economic changes due to COVID-19 measures. Then it may be late to start, but still, even more the moment to work and act on your plan B.

Understanding that the gigantic Titanic ship of prosperity you are sailing on right now may someday crash into a sudden iceberg popping up ahead, Sabyasachi then throws out 4 life support backup-plan areas that you need to cover:

• diversification (of income),

• staying relevant with newly emerging trends,

• keep being socially connected, and

• develop versatile (career) options.

"What's Your Plan B?" writes also about some personal stories of others who were consulted by Sabyasachi. Professionals from larger and smaller brands and companies tell about their adversities in life & career, and how they have dealt with them. Sabyasachi gives some pointers to further research yourself, and practical sample recommendations on what you can do and how you can prepare are provided in 5 quintessential areas of preparation.

Sinking plan A

The book cover depicts a 'plan A' that has sunken to the bottom of the sea, with a big rock solid 'backup-plan B' reaching out above the water surface. The flow of life almost always comes with challenges and adversities, and the wind current may change from time to time, drifting you towards or further away from your life goals. It's quite funny that I'm writing this book review from the lowest point of the Netherlands (which is almost 7 meters below sea level!), well aware of being in the need of a plan B (boat?) when sea levels may rise or dikes may suddenly rupture.

Part of the book drowned itself a bit too much in that graphic idea, as breakout portions are often printed in white font text on a gray 'below the sea level' background, which makes a bad contrast and is visually poor to read. Also the book could benefit from a Plan C proofreader in order to correct the last remaining typo's that are still found here and there on pages. Being the ultimate nitty gritty critic here for a moment, I would recommend Sabyasachi to reverse the order of the 'right answers' on page 154 such that the B-answer logically becomes the best outcome (that of having a backup plan).

Start sailing today

Anyways, in "What's Your Plan B?" you'll find a cheerfully written piece of work by Sabyasachi Sengupta, who in a helpful manner and a positive confidence mindset, reaches out a helping hand to you to keep adversity in back of the mind. The book contains funny yet serious tips, with anecdotes likes 'the three amigos', and a few illustrations. Sabyasachi also addresses feelings and emotions that you may encounter during adversity, and how to remove your personal barriers as to prevent you from getting stuck in a vicious downward spiral cycle of doom.

Personally I really like the side-hustle/hobby recommendation and the mount stupid of toilet paper. To know more about that, and so much more, you'll need to take up on Sabyasachi's call to action in the final chapter: start today and go read "What's Your Plan B?", because tomorrow you might need that plan B.