It should come as no surprise to parents that time you don’t budget gets sucked away.
I used to budget things with a frenzy. I still do, in many respects. But if an unexpected meeting crops up, or a family member gets sick and I’m the designated caretaker, I make changes. I don’t bother fretting over too many what-ifs and scenarios.
I go into planning mode. What can I sacrifice to help this person? What is the worst-case scenario, and is it really that bad at all?
In most cases, it isn’t that bad. Life moves on. Colleagues get over it (and are often much more understanding than we realize). Family members, God willing, heal.
Protect whatever time you can, and leave the rest to God.
You can’t control it. If you learn nothing else in this life, simply do the best you can and reach the most people you can in your allotted time. Everyone’s time will run out. But you get to control the clock until that point.