Be like Batman, always be prepared
Did you ever think about the benefits of always being prepared?
I’m a comic-book reader since… well, since before I could read at all. Grant Morrison is one of my favorite writers and his take on Batman, as far as I’m concerned, is the definitive one. In his stories, Morrison makes a great deal of stating that Batman is always prepared.
This resonates a lot with me.
I’m a software engineer and my job requires me to foretell every possible scenario. Then, I’ve to find valid countermeasures and to design accordingly. This doesn’t happen only at work, as my mind is always leaning to work this way, even in my personal life.
I have a torch in my car because it could break down at night.
The torch is a headlamp because I might have to change a tire at night and I’d want my hands free.
In my car, I have a rain cape too because, if I have to change a tire when it is raining at night, I’d want to stay dry.
In the trunk of my car, along with the spare tire, I have a couple of work gloves. Why? Because if I have to change a tire when it is snowing, I’d don’t want to freeze my hands.
I’ve never used any of that stuff but, if I need it, I’m ready.
You can’t search for disaster-recovery solutions while the disaster is happening! You have to prepare in advance for a disaster even though you hope that it’ll never happen.
I also have an evening routine to prepare myself for the next day. I look at my to-do lists and choose what tasks I want to do. I choose and arrange my clothes. I put anything I have to bring with me near my smartphone. I check my alarms.
Regularly, when I don’t perform these tasks, I forget something the next day. Usually, it is nothing too serious. I could sound like I have an obsessive-compulsive personality but I am very flexible. The question you should ask yourself is: «Why do I have to struggle if my life could flow with ease thanks to minimal preparation?»
How to be always prepared
I’m not telling you to keep an anti-shark spray in the cabin of your helicopter. I’m telling you to prepare for what could happen the next day. For most people, most of the days follow the same routine because we are creatures of habit. So, it’s not so difficult to identify the things that could go wrong and prepare accordingly.
Learn from your experiences. Read your journal looking for things that went wrong in the past. When you find one, think about how you could organize to prevent that issue from happening again.
Put in place a trigger to remember the things you need to arrange or bring with you. For example, like how I put the things I need to bring with me near the phone (because, unfortunately, I’m that guy that never forgets his smartphone).
If you want to eat out and you have already decided place and time… book it! There is no reason not to do it.
If you are like: «I want to be spontaneous!», that’s OK but, if you already have a plan in your head, go through it to the end. Don’t hesitate!
Haven’t you ever read Batman? Grant Morrison’s run is a must-read masterpiece. Go for it! It’ll also help you to build the right mindset to always be prepared.