One day last week I returned to the computer after a short break to find the broadband connection had mysteriously disappeared. Putting it down to my technological cackhandedness, I waited for A to return from a meeting in the confident expectation he would get us back on in no time.

But no, there was no broadband to be had. BT had a major problem affecting several large towns in the South West and in the end it was almost 8 hours before we were reconnected. In the meantime although we both had other work we could do, we felt disoriented and cut loose, and I was reminded of a recent blog by Judy Piatkus, the founder of Piatkus Books and now a speaker and thinker about new trends in life and business.

We are now so reliant on technology in its many forms that we don’t even think about it as long as it’s working. But as Judy points out, technology and many of our other structures are actually very fragile. Who would ever have anticipated planes would be grounded throughout the UK due to a volcano erupting in Iceland?

She suggests we all think about possible scenarios in our own lives and have contingency plans in place. Not so that we are constantly worried about a disaster, but so that we can be confident we have done our best to prepare for whatever life throws at us.

What would you do if your broadband connection disappeared for the next eight hours? Would you be thrown into panic or have a plan up your sleeve?