You’ve probably heard about how miners used to bring caged canaries with them deep into mine shafts. If any harmful gases emerged, the canaries would die, giving the miners sign of trouble while they still had time to get out. Having easily observable indicators of coming trouble is really helpful, not just in mines, but in all areas of life. As we go about our days, weeks and months it’s easy to get lost in the details and fail to see trouble brewing until it hits us hard and has significant consequences. If you can identify a few leading indicators or “canaries” that you can easily keep an eye on though, you can get an early warning of coming challenges in time to make adjustments and avoid more dire consequences. As an example, I have three key canaries I watch to make sure my schedule is in healthy balance: Do…