Anticipation is one of those skills that is rarely discussed because it’s not thought of much as a skill. It gets pushed to the side. But if we put focus on the importance of anticipating things then it can help us in numerous ways. You’ll save valuable time, heartache, and frustration.
Like a great “fire escape plan”, if you’re first exit point is blocked, what do you do? You need to anticipate all the time and not just in these high-stress and emergency situations.
Think of events in your life recently that could have gone better (or did go better) because of anticipation. They happen all the time without realization.
If you anticipate certain things happening or are prepared for alternatives should the main plan go sideways, you become more agile and can perform if (and when) things don’t work out as planned.
As a practice, it’s a good idea to think about 2-3 “worse case” scenarios with a situation upcoming and have a plan of action to counter with should the first one not work as planned.
Inevitably, Plan B and C will become the “go-to” in many of your every day predicaments. Make sure you anticipate them happening and adjust accordingly.