In this Post: Whether in your massage business or in life, finding ways to prepare for the future will serve you well! This post contains tips to prepare for the future.
One thing I have noticed in life is that the more I am prepared for an event, the more confidently I can proceed.
Call me the planning queen, but it really helps settle the nerves. By walking through all the possible scenarios, you have a better idea of how to mitigate problems.
Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Now, it may seem like a funny time to talk about preparing, given that we are amidst the 2020 COVID crisis and that many of the best-laid plans have gone awry, but hear me out…
Why Preparation Matters
1) Preparing increases flexibility.
Sounds pretty counterintuitive, eh? But think about it. Assume you have explored a multitude of possible scenarios and prepared for each of their outcomes. When life throws you a curveball, which it always does, your mind has already gone through the exercise of playing out different possibilities. You aren’t married to one particular outcome. You can be more fluid. And easily jump to plan b or c or create a plan d. Much more so than if you had never explored alternatives.
2) Preparing reduces anxiety.
Have you ever psyched yourself out thinking about an upcoming event or current problem? Let a small thing snowball into a giant avalanche. Instead of working yourself into a tizzy, you could carefully rehearse possible outcomes and preparing physically, emotionally, and mentally for their prospective conclusions.
When I was pregnant with my son, I was super anxious! But instead of letting it get the best of me, I chose to channel that energy into getting prepared for all the possible birthing scenarios I could imagine. Instead of one hospital bag, I had seven. They were filled with everything I could possibly imagine I MIGHT need. This may sound insane, but I wasn’t anxious anymore. (As it turns out, all seven bags got left in the car during my labor and delivery process, so much for needing my Bluetooth speaker and coconut water, but again it reduced the amount of anxiety I was experiencing around the unknown. To read more about this go to Strength Love Birth)
3) Preparing helps you reduce mistakes.
Mistakes steal time and money. Both things I hate to waste! When you take the time to carefully think through a variety of scenarios, you reduce the risk of blunders occurring in the first place.
4) Preparing saves time.
When you prepare for a variety of events, you are proactive as opposed to reactive. Ever notice how much more time and energy it takes to be reactive and clean up a mistake than not to have made the mistake in the first place. Think the “Cat in the Hat.” (Now to be clear, just because you prepare doesn’t mean you aren’t going to make mistakes, it just means you will make less of them.)
Tips to Prepare for the Future
You can’t possibly prepare for the details of every single possibility that that might arise in your life, our you will be like me lugging around seven hospital bags when you just need two. Instead, it is essential to realize that the external events are just details; the real thing to prepare is your internal mindset.
Slow Down –
One of my favorite quotes comes from Phil Dunphy of Modern Family, of all places. He is often known to say to his family, “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” I just love this quote! In the fast-paced world in which we live, it is easy to get caught in the mindset that everything needs to happen, and it needs to happen now. But this is when mistakes occur. By carefully thinking through the problem or event you are anticipating, you will be able to tackle it from a more clear, level-headed place! Thus ACTUALLY moving faster.
Educate Yourself –
Chances are good that someone else has been through a similar situation to the one you are tackling. Learn from their mistakes. You will be happy you took the time to educate yourself from others who have paved the way before you.
Mindfulness –
Be intentional in the choices you make. Don’t be afraid to changes courses or admit when you are wrong. The quicker you can adapt, the better.
Work on doing things smarter, not harder – Shift your mentality from one of coping. Trust me, I get this mentality! I have been there – simply trying to say afloat. But there is a better way! What systems can you update or improve to reduce your workload? Make a list of annoyances in your business and personal life. Then work on streamlining their occurrences.
I hope these tips help you walk more boldly towards your future! With so much uncertainty, it is key to make a plan and confidently walk towards it! Even if you have to change course, you will be happy that you began taking steps!
Whether you are preparing for events in your personal life, or one’s in your massage business, I hope these tips to prepare for the future help you fearlessly tackle them head-on with grit and tenacity!
