Member-only story
The practice of preparation
for incremental success and long term resiliency
Preparation has been top of mind recently, with the quick adjustment from classroom teaching to online this spring, and general difficult conversations that are natural during times of unrest. The feeling of being unprepared has crept in to normally simple meetings and work.
Now that the adjustment period has set in, and we’re all recovering from the shock of the circumstances, I’ve been thinking about a way to formalize the process of preparation for myself moving forward. At first I was only thinking about it in terms of meetings or workshops or classes I teach. But in recent reflections on the design strategy field, I’ve been seeing preparation on more of a spectrum.
Preparation is a path for resiliency on long term scale, but also incrementally. The hypothesis is, by creating little moments of success that come from being prepared, we can be stronger and more resilient over time. The confidence built by being prepared, the impressions left, and the example you set. These are the things to aspire to in the practice of preparation.
The idea was that formalizing preparation could turn it into a kind of ritual or a checklist that starts to happen naturally. This is a balance that prioritizes presence of mind, being thoughtful and…
