Time is the greatest gift given to us.  The only moment you will ever have is the here and now.  Depending on the individual situation it can be our friend or an enemy.  Take buying a car for instance.  If you do not have the time to shop around and make rational choices time is short and your price is high.  Make a commodity out of the car of choice and plan how and whom you contact about getting quotes your time frame will slightly go up but your cost will tumble.

Now look at searching for a job.  If you are let go unexpectedly you will have fewer choices where to go for employment next and your distance to work may go up, your income may go down and overall satisfaction with available choices will also suffer.  If you have invested the time to stay connected with family, friends, industry contacts, competitors, vendors, sales people, etc your chances of perhaps even lucking out with a better position than before the layoff will increase.  Most successful people at this are connected to their future employer and do not even know it.

Your choice is to fail to plan and thus plan to fail, or to rigorously planning out your time such that you put the odds in your favor.

Ralf