What’s one thing you could do today to feel more prepared for tomorrow?
This question is more tactical than my typical journal prompts. (And some days I just need a tactic more than a deep thought.)
Like everyone’s, my to-do list is a mix of urgent and important items. There are also a bunch of optional, aspirational things hanging out that are learning to walk and ready for preschool. But, for the most part, things get done when they need to—but not without varying levels of stress.
A couple of months ago, I started noting what was happening when my stress or anxiety spiked during the day. The pattern centered around feeling not ready. Often, I felt like I was scrambling in the last minutes to pull my stuff together. I don’t like feeling (or looking) unprepared- especially when I’ve done the work.
For me, feeling ready is simply that. I have my stuff together and handy when I need it. In this reflection, I also realized the workload was the same. Readiness, for me, is promoting those little prep steps to the level of an action item and shifting them forward a day.
Specifically, each afternoon (when I remember and have a few minutes), I look forward on my calendar and find a few small things I can do ahead of time. These things must take a minute or less each. They’re typically putting together and sending a short agenda to bring more focus to meetings, opening the files I’ll need to share, or sending short emails or chats with anything news-y to my team.
The idea is simple and a way to “pay it forward” to me.
It helps when I do it. I still get caught up in the swirl and continue working up until the last second before I need to start dinner with things that others absolutely need done that day.
But I’m building the habit. When I do, the benefit is a smoother, less wrinkly day with fewer anxiety spikes. When I have easier transitions from one meeting to the next and feel like I’m ready with what I want and need to say, I just feel more effective at the end of the day. The small stuff adds up.
So with all that lead-in, today’s journal (or “to do” list) prompt is this: What’s one thing you could do today to feel more prepared for tomorrow?
“CONFIDENCE COMES FROM BEING PREPARED.” - JOHN WOODEN
