Preparedness means being ready for something beforehand. It involves taking action to be ready for situations before they happen. To be good at anything, it’s important to always be prepared for whatever situation that happens.
Preparedness is a skill that can be learned and with discipline and experience, it improves over time. Planning and preparation may come naturally for some, but for others, they deal with challenges and problems as they arise. The major advantage of preparedness is that you can manage problems much quicker and more efficiently because you will already have the solutions at hand ready to be applied.
Adequate preparation may often appear to be boring and uninteresting, however, it can prove to be one of the most valuable skills that you can master to avoid stress and anxiety.
The Benefits of Preparedness:
- It improves your problem-solving skills
- It improves emotional control
- It reduces stress and anxiety
- It makes you proactive
- It improves creativity
- It builds confidence
- It improves focus
- It leads to success
- It improves your leadership skills
Action Steps:
The following actions can help you practice preparedness:
1. Identify your reasons – understanding what you’re preparing for, the overall objectives, and what you’re trying to accomplish can help you get a clearer picture.
2. Plan ahead – the further in advance you prepare, the more time you have to fix any unforeseen obstacles.
3. Focus on efficiency – it isn’t about how fast you can get a job done but how efficiently you can pull it off. Learn to understand the problem and apply the necessary solution.
4. Set time aside – preparation can be time-consuming, but if you set aside some time to work, you will feel very satisfied when you complete the task earlier and possibly have some extra time left.
5. Visualize success – part of preparedness is planning for success and taking the necessary actions to achieve it.
6. Believe in yourself – believe that you can accomplish the goals you have set and that you are capable of excelling at all you do.
7. Make it a habit – make preparation part of your lifestyle, not something you do once in a blue moon.
8. Learn to focus – regardless of what you’re preparing for, it’s important to focus on what you need to do to be successful.
9. Have a planner or to-do list – reviewing your planner for the upcoming day or week can serve as a reminder of what needs to be done and can help you prioritize.