How to Prepare for Anything That Life Throws at You in 3 Easy Steps
Life is always throwing curveballs and forcing us to pivot at one point in time or another. Those moments can seem scary and bring on anxiousness because we don't feel prepared, we don't feel equipped, and the last thing anyone wants to do is fall flat on their face and fail. Whether an expected or unexpected event, feeling prepared to any degree is going to put you more at ease.
Whether you need to prepare for a test, for an impromptu date, for a trip, or for an interview. The 3 things we're about to share can be applied to any situation so that you're less flustered, less anxious, and more enthusiastic about what you're about to tackle.
1. Take a minute to assess
Planned or unplanned the best way to stop flustering is to stop dead in your tracks and just exhale. Think through, to the best of your ability, what's about to take place. Analyze, if you will, as a means to "demystify" what's happening.
2. Break it down Sis
Anything can seem insurmountable at first glance. And unexpected things, largely due to inconvenience, just seem larger than life. However, after you've inhaled and exhaled to put the thing into perspective, you now have the ability to break it down to "digestible" smaller happenings. Preparing for a speech or public appearance can seem like a tall order. But if you break it down to a) Plan outfit b) prepare speech c) figure out transportation/parking, you've now managed to make the big to-do more manageable, making you feel more prepared.
3. Be authentic
This sounds A LOT easier than it actually is. Many of us are so used to camouflaging ourselves to blend into whatever environment we're presented with. It's literally on autopilot so we don't even think about it. Codeswitching anyone? Lol. Thing is, it's harder to prepare for who you're going to "pretend" to be than it is to prepare to show up and be 100% present as your true self. Instead of thinking "Will they like me?" If you show up as yourself, your confidence becomes attractive. Why? Because people are drawn to confidence. (Note: not arrogance).
You might say, what does confidence have to do with the last-minute trip work is forcing me on? Chances are, it's not the flight itself that you're anxious about, but having to go and represent your company. Being confident that you're the person for the job (after all, they did ask you) will show when you meet the people or organization you’re scheduled to meet.
But let's say it's the flight itself that you actually want to prepare for. Again, take a minute, remind yourself that it's "just" a flight, figure out the weight restrictions, boarding times, travel time to the airport, flight duration time. These are all things that will help you feel more prepared, less anxious, and hopefully more excited. And if you're nervous about flying, that's ok too. Pretending not to be will only make it worse. Instead take any extra precautions necessary, whether that be getting an aisle seat or packing your favorite comfort snacks for the plane.
And there you have it! Don't let the unexpected, or anticipated throw you into a tizzy. Prepare to be better prepared and you got this. ♥