The Life Starter
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Course Library · Lesson 6 of 6
Life · Guided lesson

Build a durable support and backup plan

About 22 minutes
Work at your own pace. Optional videos take extra time.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

Create regular connection, maintenance, professional resources, emergency contacts, and backups for a likely difficult situation.

The idea

A network becomes reliable through maintenance and prepared access, not a contact list alone.

Try it

One step at a time.

Use the sample or information you have permission to use. Keep your work as you go. You can pause between steps.

  1. 1

    Schedule a realistic rhythm of messages, calls, shared activities, gratitude, introductions, service, and follow-through across different relationships.

  2. 2

    For one likely challenge, assign primary and backup emotional, practical, informational, professional, transport, and emergency support with permission where needed.

  3. 3

    Store contacts securely and offline, review the plan quarterly, update changed relationships, and add crisis or emergency services separately.

Example

See how it works.

Drew sets monthly mentor check-ins, weekly group attendance, two emergency ride contacts, and a clinic number saved offline.

Check your work

Did you cover these?

  • Your work includes a 90-day connection calendar and one scenario backup plan with roles, scripts, permissions, access barriers, and review date.
  • Check this common mistake: Collecting names without maintaining relationships, checking availability, or planning what happens when the first person cannot help.
  • The plan has recurring connection actions, at least two paths for the priority need, and appropriate professional and emergency boundaries.
Your work

What to finish

A 90-day connection calendar and one scenario backup plan with roles, scripts, permissions, access barriers, and review date.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Collecting names without maintaining relationships, checking availability, or planning what happens when the first person cannot help.

How can I tell I understand it?

The plan has recurring connection actions, at least two paths for the priority need, and appropriate professional and emergency boundaries.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1Which step is part of “Build a durable support and backup plan”?
2What should you have made by the end of this lesson?
3Which mistake should you watch for in this lesson?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
6
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

Go to the knowledge check
Optional course overview video · same video as Lesson 1
TEDHow to Ask for Help — and Get a YesYouTube
Optional course overview

How to Ask for Help — and Get a Yes

From TED. Watch here or open it on YouTube .

Watch for an idea you can use in the practice below. You can pause or skip this optional overview.
Tools, templates, and lesson sources

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Sources and further reading

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