“To be prepared is half the victory,” said Spanish writer, Miguel De Cervantes of Don Quixote fame. A notion that certainly echoed in the aisles of the various hardware and grocery stores as flashlights, batteries, barbecue coals, water and rations were being snatched up in After Holiday Sale-type frenzy.Anyone who has experienced a hurricane knows that, whatever happens, the outcome of it can be a lot more tolerable if you've thought it through thoroughly and have a the right equipment, the right information and the right attitude going into it.We tend to prepare for the big things — a storm that could potentially demolish our home or at least leave us without electricity for an hour or two. Equally so for the good things: a big party, a new baby coming home. There are whole industries based on helping people with this. For example, the best Wedding Planner thinks of everything in advance and is prepared for any eventuality.While spontaneity is great, if we have any specific expectation of what we want to achieve, spontaneity is no guaranteed way to get it.Imagine for a moment, that wedding with no preparation: nobody knows where they're going or what they're meant to be doing, there's no cake, no music (because no one thought to arrange it) and where are the guests? Oops, invitations might have been a good idea.Without 'forward thinking', a situation can easily become stressful and chaotic. Time is wasted trying to make arrangements or 'firefight' on the spot. The opportunity to relax and enjoy the moment is lost.This is easy to see in examples of big events, but the same is true for the little things: the phone call you're about to make, a business or social meeting, even a trip to the grocery store. Many of us go about these 'everyday' occurrences without a second thought, or should I say, first thought, and how many times are we; left scrabbling to find pen and paper, inadvertently double booking something, losing time to rambling interactions, not having to hand that important information that could have saved time (or saved face), or getting home and realising the one key ingredient is still at the store.Each is a small-scale version of that stress and chaos, and consider their cumulative effect over the course of the day. Now consider how, with a little preparation, that could be alleviated, making the 'everyday' more pleasant and relaxing. And with that time saved, and extra energy, how much more productive could we be?I'm not suggesting we need to hire a planner or create a lever-arch look-book every time we're about to pick up the telephone. But taking some simple steps can help us meet our expectations, reduce stress and be more efficient in any given situation.Some people are natural planners or have created great 'preparedness' habits. What do you prepare for well? Are there any areas of your work or home life that could benefit from a little more forward planning?You can transfer the preparation strategies that already work well for you in one area to the other, and also try out these.Steps to Prepare:1. Ask: What is the topic/task at hand? What is the purpose of the meeting/phone call/action? Seems obvious but answering these questions helps to focus attention, get everyone on the same page and sets up the expectation.2. Figure out the importance/impact of what you're doing. This helps to determine how much time to set aside for both preparation and execution and the appropriate level of detail and depth.3. Know your outcomes. What is it that you want to get out of this meeting/call/excursion? What is your ultimate aim? Once you know this, you can then be flexible in your approach until you achieve what you want.4. Who else is involved? If it's a meeting/discussion etc what prep needs to be done to accommodate them and their learning/communication styles? Who do you need to ask, inform, invite, notify, take into consideration … regarding what you're doing and the decisions being made?5. Create an agenda or structure. A given in most constructive business meetings, an agenda can be useful for any situation guiding the order of how to proceed and ensuring nothing is forgotten. Even at the grocery store — an agenda grouping items together by section saves you going back on yourself when you get to the 'jelly' at the bottom of the list. Sound a little retentive? Yet the five minutes taken before getting there can avoid fifteen minutes of trolley dodgems and frustration.6. What research do you need to do? What will you need to have with you, be it answers to potential questions, alternatives, documentation, equipment etc?7. Rehearse (the key to the preparation process which can help inform all the other steps). Run through the event mentally before it happens. See yourself achieving your outcomes and walk yourself through the process it requires to get there.Visualising helps gear our subconscious towards the success we are looking for. We can also work through in our heads the various obstacles and scenarios that may arise to get us to that point, and find solutions in advance. It's a way of using our 20/20 hindsight before it even happens. In NLP we call this Future Pacing. Sports Pros are accustomed to using this kind of visualisation, future pacing each and every shot or play before they take it.Jack Nicklaus said: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there; its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.”And we can do the same, whether before a meeting, undertaking a task or project, or just organising your day to get things done. We see what needs to be done and then do the preparation so that the hard work is completed before we even start.We may not be able to foresee every eventuality, but our planning will set us up as well as possible for our success. And once prepared, we are then freer and more relaxed to take opportunities as they arise and be more flexible and spontaneous. That way, if the storm happens to blow over without too much fuss, not only are you set for the next time but things are in place, like your phone is charged and the barbecue stoked, ready for the post-hurricane party to eat up the supplies or that food defrosting in the freezer.Prepare for the worst then work for the best — small steps adding to your success.Julia Pitt is a trained Success Coach and certified NLP practitioner. For further information contact Julia on (441) 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com