We are never ready: Only Prepared

One of the most important lessons I’ve learnt so far, is that we are never “ready”. We can only be prepared. Yet when all the things we prepare for happen, we are still not ready to face them.

Preparedness begins with setting a goal and having a plan in place. It’s about avoiding complacency and living a life of discipline. In your business, you will undoubtedly face situations when you will be required to make quick decisions in order to maintain forward motion. You’ll need to handle the unexpected because there is no way to guarantee that everything will go smoothly all the time.

In order to move through the highs and lows of life, you need to prepare yourself for anything. Anything could happen at any time, but don’t let this scare you because it should motivate you instead. And no matter how much I put into preparation, I always find out that I am never ready whenever it is time. That’s just the way it is.

I have always been preparing myself for the unknown and unexpected. I would take extra classes to prepare for an exam, read books to prepare for a presentation, and even look into the future by taking up courses. I would try to do everything I can to prepare and be ready for that which is coming my way. But no matter how much I put into preparation, I always find out that I am never ready whenever it is time.

I remember the first time I found myself in a situation where I was about to give a speech. The timing was a little sudden, and it caught me off guard. As nervous as I was, I knew that I needed to deliver a great speech to get the audience's attention back on me, so while trying to speak quickly, I also needed to keep it interesting and engaging, so they did not lose attention. I ended up walking around the stage, almost like a boxer in a boxing ring, waiting for the right moment to strike. Not that I wasn’t ready, not that I wasn’t prepared, but the best preparation I could have done was to be prepared to be unprepared.

Nevertheless, When an unforeseen event occurs, make sure you have a plan in place. Plans are important. The best laid plans, as they say. They are crucial in times of stress and change, whether that is during a power outage or a major life event. When an unforeseen event occurs, make sure you have a plan in place so unexpected events cause little distress. With a plan, you can keep disruption to a minimum, and retain your sanity while still being able to enjoy the exciting ride life has to offer. You never know when something unexpected is going to happen, but if you are prepared with a plan, you will be almost ready for anything.

Preparedness is not a new concept. Whether you want to be prepared for a storm or a zombie apocalypse, having plans for anything is the best way to survive. Being faced with a disaster and not having a plan is the worst thing that can happen, but avoiding all disaster is impossible. Most people will never have to deal with something terrible happening, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare. By taking specific steps and learning some life hacks, you can be prepared to handle whatever comes your way. But like the topic suggests, you can only prepare. Or are you ready for a zombie apocalypse? My guess is your answer is “No”

I am quite sure that when preparing to say anything, we have all felt the presence of a thought that interferes with our ability to speak freely and openly. It could be fear of the unknown, shyness, lack of concern, ignorance, or even the mere stress of trying to say the right thing at the right time. Whether we are addressing a group or just one person, we find that our mind begins racing in the moments before we attempt to speak. We may consider our words in advance or get distracted by concerns over what others will think about what we said and how it will affect them.

One can become a bit ready by preparing. One can become prepared by being ready to take action. We are never ready. We can only prepare.

Our brains scan the environment, identify threats, and gain input on what to do next. If we’re doing something new, we aren’t as good at identifying the threats, so we place a greater trust in instinct and what is known. If we’ve done something similar before, then we have more data to form our next set of actions, so we trust and allow extra time to process the options because we are more ready.

The most important part of preparation is training yourself to be ready to take action.

Finally, Readiness is an ability to perform well in an expected situation. Readiness is a state of mind. It is also a state that requires preparing. Preparing is not for being ready for the next challenge, but for the next time a challenge occurs.