Prepare vs Position

When you know what's coming, prepare. When you don't know what's coming, position.

If you have a pitch next Tuesday, you can rehearse it. If you have a lunch, you can allow time for driving so you're on time. If you know a bill is due next year, you can save the money this year.

When the future is uncertain, you can position. No one knows what's going to happen with the economy, but you can position yourself against potential loss by spending less than you earn and saving more. You don't know what's going to happen to your health, but you can strengthen your position against disease by exercising and eating properly. You don't know when you might need your friends, but you can be in a good position to ask for their help by being the kind of friend they can count on and staying in touch.

Being well-positioned enables anyone to come out ahead no matter what obstacles the unknown may present. That position comes not in the big decisions that we make but in the small, daily, mundane ones that borne of our habits. Do your habits reflect good positioning?

** Swiped (and slightly expanded) from the great book I'm reading right now, Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish **