176: What Are You Preparing For?

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Abraham Lincoln once said,  “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” This quote really hit me. I started asking myself, “What am I preparing for.” Just the exercise of asking yourself can be painful or rewarding.

If you aren’t preparing you are preparing to fail. Planning for things will help you be ready to take advantage of new opportunities. Recently, I was forced to look at my career goals. Did I want to continue working for my current employer? What will happen if my employer decides to cut my position or terminate my employment? It was at this time that I realized that I hadn’t prepared myself properly for either instance. I view myself as a confident person and feel that I wouldn’t have trouble finding a new job given the time, but time out of work is money lost and bills unpaid.

Planning for the future takes practice though. Make yourself get into good habits. Start small if need be and stick to it. Lay out your clothes for the next day the night before. Prepare your meals for the week and freeze them so all you must do is grab and go on your way out to work.

Get into a good habit of ordering your life. A great quote to help you along comes from Admiral William McRaven. “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” From personal experience, I love coming home and seeing that my bed is already made and inviting. It is a pleasant feeling that lowers anxiety and promotes a small feeling of safety and comfort. The quote means so much more than just having a comfortable bed though. If you can’t even order your own life, you can’t prepare for the future. Take small steps and make small decisions of discipline that will enrich your life. Prepare for the good and the bad. Build yourself a strong foundation so you are ready to grow and can take advantage of new opportunities when they come up.