Ije Nkwado - Being Prepared!

You may have heard this quote at some point "If you fail to plan then you plan to fail". This is so true. There is nothing as important as having a plan, staying organized and getting a grip on things.

I am the type of person that can plan for the Universe. I seriously dislike being taken unawares. I also wonder how life is a daily emergency for some people. I mean you see a woman who puts to bed and she says "We were not prepared". Haa!! How much more time do you need over and above 9 months. Having a lack of capacity to carry out a task is completely different from being clueless when faced with the task.

The Scouts motto says "Be Prepared" and I could not agree any less with Lord Baden-Powell. I believe that my journey of teaching children, especially at church has taught me to always be prepared. Children can ask questions per second per second. The last thing you can tell them is 'Wait' or 'I will tell you later' - they never forget and they need an answer now. In raising my children I have come to realise that I must wear the hat of Philosopher, Scientist, Mathematician, English major, Poet, Sous-Chef, Mommy, Doctor and much more. I must be prepared always.

You may not have every detail lined up to the tee but at least have a plan, have an idea. Do not look lost. Make an attempt. Give an incorrect answer with all the confidence you can muster. Haa Haa Haa. Do not try this incorrect answer business at a job interview oh, it will surely cost you the job. Seriously though, I am sure employers will prefer a confident person with a wrong answer than a totally flustered person who knows it all but cannot communicate with confidence.

So why have I chosen this journey on planning for today's blog? I missed two weeks of blogging (Did you even miss me?), I seriously struggled to think of topics to write about, majorly because I had so much going on these past few weeks. And so today I picked myself up and went to my blog notes written over 3 months ago, alas, I had over 10 topics lined up for the blog untouched. I had planned out the blog well ahead of time, I just did not consult those notes in the past 2 weeks. So now I can write till December even if I do not get a new topic idea.

Planning can be extremely boring and you may not see the essence at the time, however, it can be extremely useful when you need it especially when you are in crunch time and need to pull a rabbit out of your magic hat in a hurry. You actually lose nothing when you plan, it gives you clarity. It helps you identify gaps that need to be filled. You know exactly what needs to be done and when. You are almost able to predict the outcome of an event. Life does not have to be a circus all the time, you cannot keep having daily emergencies.

Oh by the way, I do not yet have a 5-year plan (I know some people do, hmm, when I grow up we shall see Haa Haa Haa). This does not mean that I do not have a clue on the next 5 years though. Even for a better lifestyle - for those of us that may have embarked on a weight loss journey at some point or the other - you would agree that when you do not plan and prep your meals you end up eating everything that crosses your line of vision. As in when hunger hits, it hits so hard you start to see your ancestors. However when you have your meals prepped, all you need do is pull out something healthy to eat.

Or imagine going on vacation and you have no itinerary planned. Tour guides will chop the life out of your hard earned money. I do not even get how people hop on a place without a clue on what sights and sounds are available at their destination. How do you leave home without a daily plan of what to do and where to go. Even if some of those activities are not done, then you have something to look forward to on your next trip.

The beauty of planning is that you can break down your actions from an annual plan to quarterly tasks all the way to daily tasks that need to be done to help you achieve that annual plan. You are able to determine what resources you need and work towards getting them. Imagine a business person who needs funding and is asked "How much do you need to start?" and the response is "I am not sure, about X amount". Who does that? You see that's why I love window shopping (Oh that's a blog journey for another day)..... I so love to window shop, identify an item, know exactly when I have enough to pick it up.

So guys, Quarter 3 of this beautiful year is about coming to an end. What are your plans for Quarter 4? Be prepared to end the year strong, that way you can start the new year even stronger. It's never too late to start, after all Papa Abraham started life at 75years old so how old are you that you think you cannot learn something new. Abeg!

Be prepared! Do yourself a favour and plan, even if just minimally. Have an idea. Do not be clueless like some people. Even the Bible says it in Luke 14: 28 that you do not embark on a project without first counting the cost to know if you have enough to finish it (Paraphrased). Do not make your life an abandoned project. Be Prepared!

Now that I am better prepared, I will see you guys next week as we embark on another journey of life. Till then, remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Our handle remains ije_journey

Ije.....Journey

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash