No one is ever really ready for when life throws something catastrophic at you, yet having a plan set up in advance can help with what comes next.

Chanel Reynolds wasn't prepared when her husband died in a cycling accident in 2009. In the aftermath, she suffered emotional and financial shocks. She said she wasn't fully equipped to handle all of life's details, from the big financial ones to finding account passwords. But Reynolds channeled that chaos into action.

Reynolds now hopes to help others who may find themselves in a similar situation. In 2013, she founded the online resource, "Get Your S--- Together," and now has a new book out, "What Matters Most."

Watch this video to find out more about her plan to prepare for the unexpected.

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Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.