If You Wait To Address A Need Until You Have The Need, You've Likely Waited Too Late

"Nobody has to tell the ant what to do.

    All summer it stores up food;
    at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?"
 - Proverbs 6

Over Memorial Day Weekend of this year I had a routine appendectomy performed. That routine appendectomy ended-up being anything but routine and led to a series of infections. Ultimately in September I had a MRSA-laden abscess the size of two softballs removed from my chest cavity. The illness cost me a lot of hours, emotions and dollars and was a tremendous drain on several relationships. 

The surgery to remove the abscess from the chest, what is called a "thoracotomy/decortication," is a major surgery, with plenty of subsequent pain, surgical risks and a long recovery period. Yet in the first hours after my surgery, doctors were clear that I had an advantage. I was not going to be the run-of-the-mill patient because years of physical condition and a solid diet would greatly improve my outcome compared to my peers. Additionally, the discipline I've learned as a CrossFit athlete and marathoner had taught me how to suffer and endure and still maintain a positive and realistic outlook during difficult moments, something you need to have in place before your chest is opened-up.

In a recent video I posted on YouTube, I covered some of my insights. A main insight is this: If we wait until we have a need to address the need, then we have waited too late.  The best time to prepare for difficulties is in times of abundance. 

• The time to get a loan for your business is when your business is operating profitably, not during a downturn.
• The time to right size and close unprofitable activities is when an organization as a whole is profiting.
• The time to align your activities to your life's values is when you are flourishing and not when you are struggling.
• The time to invest in your marriage is when it is going well.
• The time to tell and show your kids your love is often and early and not when they get into tight straights.
• The time to change your diet is before you are diagnosed with conditions and illnesses that could sideline for long periods of time.
• The time to start a new exercise program is likely right now and not later.

You get the idea.

So, pretend you are an ant. Where is the area of your life where you can begin storing up your provisions you'll need in the future?

Here is my YouTube Video