Preparing > Repairing

I think if there's one thing that we can universally agree on as we sit here on May 21, 2020, it's that being prepared is something we can ALL do a better job with. We can take better care of our health, our finances, our networking, our businesses, our families, our emotional well-being, our investments... the list goes on and on in perpetuity. If we're being honest and speaking "globally", how much time have "we" spent, money have "we" spent, emotional output have "we" spent in the last couple of months?... all because preparing took a back seat to other "stuff"... and to be fair, i'm not sure there was a way to prepare for the state "we" are in now. Side note: this is not political, this is not finger pointing, this is NOT that... but it did get me thinking on what take-away(s) we can gain. I wrote an article earlier this week entitled "Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn"... this is a major moment for a "learn".

A recent "prepare" for me has been to write an original article every day. Why? Well, for one, it gives me a purpose to get out of bed, get myself in a mental state of learning and thought (after coffee... I don't fully trust someone who doesn't need coffee in the morning) and it really helps me to put my thoughts on "paper"... because it's preparation for what may come in the future. I may need to look back at this moment in time for a pick me up, or a remembrance of a thought I had. For me, this is something I wasn't doing before, that could have greatly helped me now if I had it look back on.

I recently walked over to my "library", which consisted of boxes sitting in my garage from a move close to a year and a half ago... embarrassed to say that time got away and so did my habit of reading. One of my favorite books is called "Today Matters" by John Maxwell. In his book, John walks us through "12 daily practices to guarantee tomorrow's success". As I was rereading this, I paused on a section that talked about Preparing vs Repairing.

In an excerpt John says:

"Not long ago I was chatting with John Kotter, the Harvard Business School professor and author of 'Leading Change'. We were preparing to speak at a simulcast to thousands of business people and I told him about the idea for Today Matters. His response was 'most people don't lead their own lives-they accept their lives.' I believe this is true. Unfortunately, many people approach their lives passively. They take a reactive approach to living instead of a proactive one. It's as if they're waiting for something. But life is not a dress rehearsal. You won't get a second chance to relive today! I believe that everyone chooses how to approach life. If you're proactive, you focus on preparing. If you're reactive, you end up focusing on repairing."

Preparing: Lets you focus on today, Increases efficiency, Increases confidence, Saves money, Pays now for tomorrow, Takes you to a higher level

Repairing: Makes you focus on yesterday, Consumes times, Breeds discouragement, Increases cost, Pays now for yesterday, Becomes an obstacle for growth

When I read that, I took a step back (and a deep breath) because looking at and assessing which one of those described me better wasn't going to be comfortable. If you're like me, you're a mixture of both... with a slight tendency for the latter. The good news is, if you're like me, Today Matters (hint... if you're reading this... that means you're breathing... and if you're breathing, Today Matters!). Today, we can create habits that will create an investment in tomorrow... and when we look back on today, 1 year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now... those daily investments in preparation... in taking the time to be an active participant in our own lives and our own decisions and our own choices... they will yield a TREMENDOUS return on the investment we are making today (and the next day, and the day after that). In financial terms, that's compounding interest. The downside: The opposite is also true. If there's no investment in yourself today, there's no return on that investment in the future... and Repairing life day after day, year after year is inevitable.

If you've ever thought to yourself, "Man! I work hard every day, I give 100%. I always try my best to be a great teammate, a great spouse, a great mom or dad. I try to eat right (except on Taco Tuesdays... and Pizza Fridays... and the weekend, well because it's the weekend), I try to exercise as much as possible (again, except on weekends... because it's the weekend), etc, etc, etc..." but at the end of the day, you're feeling like you're still "behind in life" then you're in good company, because all or even some part of that describes 99.9% of us. Trying to be those things is admirable to say the least... but what are we doing to prepare for success in those areas? If the answer is nothing or you need to spend more than 10 seconds to think about it, then the chance is we are spending more time repairing to meet the goal (hopefully) vs preparing (to ensure we achieve the goal). It's all about being intentional in the completion of the goals that are important to us. Sometimes we fall into the trap of "wanting" something, but not doing the necessary things required to actually "obtain" that want.

When I was 18 I was fortunate enough to get a car... it was used, it was slightly rusted in some spots, but it was a car... and it was mine! I wanted the freedom that the car represented, I wanted the job that I could drive to in my car, I wanted one of those "new car scent" pine trees to hang from the rear-view mirror (because I'm fairly certain that something died or had previously died) in or around the back seat. It was GREAT! It wasn't the prettiest, it wasn't the newest, but I could meet my goals in that car... until about a week in when I was driving on the highway and the car came to a slow halt because apparently gas was necessary to continue driving... and that was also apparently my responsibility now. Lesson learned. For the next few months I filled that tank faithfully... until once again that car stopped. Oil change? How was that even a thing?! Cars needed gas AND oil... I could have sworn that was the same thing! The whole point is, I spent a lot of time and money on that car because I lacked the knowledge and subsequent preparation that it took to prevent all of the repairs that ultimately occurred.

In the summer, I love to garden. Grow the seeds, turn the soil, pull the weeds, water the plants daily and everything else that goes along with it... especially picking the fresh fruits and vegetables. It gives me a sense of purpose and pride... and as much as I love my family, when the chaos of 2 dogs, a wife and a 2 year old gets to be just a little much, it gives me a place to retreat for a couple of minutes. Gardening always reminds me of an old Chinese proverb that seems fitting:

The reality is, it doesn't matter how much time has been wasted, how much "repairing" we've done or will do as a result of past lack of preparation... Today Matters! Sure, it would have been nice to "plant a tree" (aka prepare) 20 years ago, but the next best time to plant a tree (start preparing) is now. For me, I've made a list of areas that I want to focus on being active and intentional in preparing and investing for the future. I encourage you to do the same. It will be a lot easier to reap the benefits down the road... because lack of preparation (just like lack of gas and oil in my car) means you may never make it down the road. Preparing > Repairing.