I’ll deal with it when I have to (and other lies)

Preparation is a skillset, not an inherent trait.

It’s something all of us can improve.

Now, if you’re a conscientious person who has a high need for autonomy and a strong internal locus of control, then sure, you’re cognitively predisposed to preparedness. I personally err on the side of preparedness because I don’t like being at the mercy of circumstance, delays, or other people not having their shit together.

I also have a strong aversion to being rushed or micromanaged, which is why my tendency is to have things ready before people ask. The dopamine hit from last minute pressure doesn’t appeal to me.

But to some, that might seem like a burden rather than a benefit. Whereas I see preparation as freedom, others may view preparation as an extra chore that takes time and effort without an immediate payoff.

It’s funny, people often use the justification, I’ll deal with it when I have to.

I’m calling bullshit on that. Because people will always find a way to never have to deal with things. This response sounds responsible and pragmatic, but in reality, it’s a form of self deception. A way to avoid uncomfortable tasks indefinitely.

Take someone who never learns how to cook. They might say, bah, I’ll deal with it when I have to. But when the moment comes, that’s not what happens. They either order takeout, which is expensive and unhealthy; make someone else cook, which is unsustainable and codependent; or survive on snacks, which is unsatisfying. They never truly deal with it, they just reroute the burden.

Unprepared people wing it. They panic when they’re hungry, scramble for whatever is available, and then wonder why their stomach is growling in the middle of the afternoon.

My biggest lesson in this department came from my first career as a public speaker. I would spend hours the night before a talk preparing in my hotel room. Partly because I enjoyed the act of rehearsing. But also because I slept better. When my head hit the pillow at midnight, I could drift off to dreamland knowing that I had equipped myself to do my job well.

That did wonders for my mental health. When I walked over to the conference center the next morning, I felt confident, relaxed, and free.

And not because I knew everything would go perfectly, but because I trusted if everything went to shit, I was ready.

Hostile audience? No power outlet? Microphone issues? Awkward room setup? Stage time cut by fifty percent? Client suddenly needs me to do a second workshop? Fine. I can’t control any of those obstacles, but by being prepared, then at least I can pivot on a dime. I can replace the broken string by the time the chorus comes back around.

Those scenarios have happened to me so many hundreds of times, preparedness is second nature to me now. I just assume things will not go the way I want them to, and that’s fine. It’s not pessimism, it’s pragmatism.

I almost treat it as a game. The moment I leave the house, it’s like, okay, let’s see how many different ways life will try to thwart my effort today. And let’s see how little I can let it bother me. Let’s see how quickly I can switch gears and snap back into action.

I think the department of transportation could operationalize my philosophy and potentially improve millions of commuter’s lives. Recently I found data from the metro transit authority showing that the six train was delayed forty thousand times over a one year period.

Forty thousand times. That’s a hundred delays a day. And that’s just one line. No wonder people in this city are so fucking angry.

But I’ve devised a solution. We can remind people that the world doesn’t have to dictate their experience. Right after the normal delay announcement, which would typically ruin thousands of people’s entire mornings, the train’s audio system activates a short, peaceful meditation with preparation mantras.

Here’s what it would sound like.

Attention passengers, the southbound six trains are running with extensive delays after a group of unusually determined rats dragged an entire pizza onto the third rail, causing a track obstruction and electrical issues. Transit crews are currently working to remove the debris and restore service. Cue the soft chime. The train will arrive when it arrives. You are still moving forward. A delay is not a roadblock. It is an invitation. Frustration is optional. Preparedness is freedom. Right now, you are free. Soft chime.

Tell me that wouldn’t put passengers at ease. If we helped even one percent of the commuters in this trash ridden hellhole have a more positive mindset, it would be worth it.

And I’ve already considered the obstacles to this program.

Conductors would be concerned the mediations would be seen as mocking commuters.

Executives would say the mindfulness program undermines public trust.

Government officials might even predict the meditation will spark public backlash for wasting taxpayer money.

Okay, fair enough. Every innovation carries risk. But show me one other citizen in this rat infested shitbox who’s trying to convert commuter rage into zen like tranquility. You can’t. Because there are no optimists left in this godforsaken place.

Except me. I may not have grown up here, but damn if I didn’t grow up by living here.

This idea is my contribution. It will be hailed as the greatest public transit innovation since air conditioning. Our beta testing sample shows passengers have reported a ninety percent decrease in audible sighs, a forty percent drop in passive aggressive glances at conductors, and most impressively, a seventy percent reduction in loud, performative phone calls by cynical tech bro who loudly announce they’ll probably just walk instead. I

I said it before and I’ll say it again. The more prepared you are, the less things control you.

Next time life doesn’t meet all your pretty little expectations, short circuit fear and uncertainty.

Instead of pacing and complaining, automatically snap into action.

Replace the broken string by the time the chorus comes back around.

Sun, sun, sun, here we come.