Your Daily Boost – Episode 639

Preparing For What’s Coming

(Without Abandoning Today) 

There’s a tension I think most of us quietly live in. On one side, you’ve got everything you know is coming…deadlines, bills, busy seasons at work, family commitments, aging parents, kids’ activities, health goals, holidays, the whole circus.

On the other side, you’ve got everything you don’t know is coming…a surprise opportunity, a client crisis, a diagnosis, a layoff, a last-minute invitation, a flat tire, a phone call that changes the temperature of your whole life.

Preparing for what’s coming means trying to hold both of those realities at once. And if we’re not careful, that “preparation” can quietly turn into constant worry. Today is about finding the line between those two…being ready for the future without forfeiting the present.

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The Work We Know Is Coming

Some preparation is simple:

• You know quarter-end is always hectic.

• You know the holidays are always expensive.

• You know your busy season at work doesn’t care how tired you are.

That’s the obvious stuff. You can look at the calendar and see the wave forming.

Healthy preparation looks like:

• Blocking time for deep work instead of hoping it magically appears

• Having honest conversations with your team or your family about what’s ahead

• Lining up small systems now so you aren’t improvising under pressure later

This is where the 3 A’s sneak in:

• Authenticity: being honest about what’s really on your plate, not pretending you can “handle it all” with no adjustments

• Adaptation: shifting your habits, schedule, or expectations to match the season you’re walking into

• Appreciation: recognizing that some of what’s coming is good, even if it’s demanding…growth, opportunity, impact

Preparation isn’t just risk management. It’s also making space to actually enjoy the good things you’ve worked so hard to invite into your life.

The Stuff You Can’t See Yet

Then there’s the other category…the unknowns.

You don’t see them on your calendar. You just feel them in your shoulders. There’s this low-level hum of “something’s coming” that can either sharpen you or exhaust you. We all know people who live in constant bracing mode. Every quiet moment becomes pre-worry:

• “What if this client leaves?”

• “What if the numbers don’t work?”

• “What if I get that call?”

That’s not preparation. That’s rehearsing disaster.

Real preparation for the unknown is quieter and more practical:

• Keeping a little margin in your schedule and your budget

• Building relationships before you “need” them

• Taking care of your body and mind so you’re not running on fumes when the storm hits

• Knowing your values in advance so decisions under pressure don’t completely unmake you

You can’t predict everything coming your way. But you can strengthen the person who will have to face it.

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Where Preparation Turns Into Anxiety

Here’s where this gets tricky. If you’re wired anything like me, “preparing for what’s coming” can start as a responsible thought…and end with you mentally running worst-case scenarios at 2am like it’s your side hustle. The line between preparation and anxiety is usually crossed when:

• You’re planning in circles instead of moving forward

• You’re revisiting the same fear without adding new information

• You’re trying to emotionally “pre-feel” every possible outcome so nothing can surprise you

That last one is sneaky. It feels like staying ahead of the game, but what it really does is steal the energy you need for what’s actually happening today. Preparation is about making decisions. Anxiety is about replaying possibilities. One moves you. The other drains you.

Preparing While Staying Present

So how do we prepare for what’s coming without losing our grip on the moment we’re in?

A few practices that have helped me:

• Time-boxing preparation

  Give yourself a specific window to think ahead…plan the week, look at the finances, review your commitments. When the time is up, you’re done. You’re not ignoring reality…you’re containing it.

• Writing it down instead of carrying it

  A lot of “preparation” is just unspoken mental clutter. Put it on paper or in a notes app. Clarify:

  • What’s happening for sure

  • What might happen

  • What you can’t control at all

  Then put your energy toward the first category and a small, reasonable action for the second. Let the third go.

• Choosing one move, not ten

  When you feel that urge to prepare for every scenario, ask, “What is one step I can take today that will make three different futures easier?” It might be: organizing your finances, having a difficult conversation you’ve avoided, or finally getting that check-up.

• Returning to the room you’re in

  After you plan, look around. Who’s here? What’s in front of you? What’s the actual task, conversation, or joy available right now? Preparing for what’s coming should make you more present, not less.

  
  

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Preparation As An Act Of Love

When you strip away the stress language, preparing for what’s coming is really an act of love.

• Love for your future self who has to live with the consequences

• Love for the people who rely on you

• Love for the work you’re trying to build

• Love for the life you’re trying to live on purpose instead of by accident

That’s why the posture matters. If preparation comes from fear, it will always feel like tightening. If preparation comes from love, it will feel like making room. You’re not trying to control every outcome. You’re trying to create conditions where you, and the people around you, have a better chance to thrive…no matter what shows up.

Practicing Prepared Presence

If this feels like a lot, don’t turn it into a big dramatic reinvention. Start small. Today, try this:

• Name one thing you know is coming that deserves a little planning.

• Name one thing you’re worried might be coming.

• For the first one, take a concrete step…send the email, block the time, start the document.

• For the second, ask, “What small thing could I do that would help, regardless of what happens?” Then do just that.

After you’ve done those two things…go do something that grounds you in the present. Have a real conversation. Laugh. Cook. Watch your kid’s game. Sit quietly with your thoughts without trying to fix them. That combination is the muscle: prepared, but present.

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💡 Preparing for what’s coming is not about living in constant alert mode. It’s about honoring the future without abandoning the moment you’re in.

You don’t have to see every plot twist in advance. You don’t have to be ready for everything. You just have to:

• Be honest about what’s ahead

• Take a few faithful steps now

• Keep enough of yourself available to live the day that’s actually happening

Tomorrow will arrive whether we prepare or not. The question is: will we meet it exhausted from rehearsing every outcome…or steadied by a few intentional choices made in love, while fully living today?