captain's blog

I think the universe is speaking to me.

It’s telling me… I rely too much on technology. And that I’m not prepared enough for when it fails me. Which, this past week and a half, has been CONSTANT! And since last night’s thunderstorm knocked out power for a bit and fried my modem, I’ve had a some time to reflect upon the activity of preparation.

I’ve come to realize that I’ve recently been shooting myself in the foot repeatedly by not being prepared for technological failures. I’m also starting to suspect that this may be a symptom of a deeper problem: I often don’t make preparation a priority nor do I consider it a core activity of many of the things I do on a daily basis.

Reflecting upon this past year, I have had very few disappointments with the decisions I’ve made and the things I’ve accomplished. However, just about every disappointment or setback I’ve experienced has had one common thread: lack of preparation on my part.

This is perhaps the answer to the question regarding how to take my time management skills to the next level. I have difficulty estimating how long some activities will take to accomplish which can lead to over promising to myself and others. Is the problem really my ability to estimate time? Or would my estimations be more accurate if I was had prepared beforehand?

I’ve long thought that preparation was a planning activity. Now I’m thinking it’s the first step in execution after planning. If so, then I need to learn how to recognize when greater preparation is required for anything I intend to do.

How does one cultivate this habit? I’m not entirely sure yet, but I suspect finding an answer to this question will also involve preparation.

Thoughts? Experiences? Stories?