Life Tips Daily

Good day and indeed the day is more than half over. I like to get an entry out earlier in the day so I can hear what you have to say but I was the victim of an ornery laptop so I am in the library of an educational institution pounding out a few thoughts before returning to my conference.

That’s right, I am out of town, and have found myself unexpectedly unprepared to deal with the loss of my laptop (and internet connection by default), so naturally, I’d like to talk today about being prepared.

While it is not possible to be always prepared for whatever life may throw us, I’d like to make the following suggestions on how to make sure that you are prepared for the unexpected somewhat, using my particular case as an example.

Research what you are going to be faced with
Even if you think you are well aware of what you will face, research it because even though you are familiar with the concept or idea in your particular location, perhaps it is different where you are going. Had I taken the time to research the weather in my locale, I may have packed different clothing: instead of my closed toe shoes and pants, I might have brought capri pants and sandals, and allowed my feet to enjoy a little sunshine. This is a very innocuous example of the benefits of researching your new surroundings, but other examples might include researching a different culture that you will be entering to ensure that your speech, manners, dressing will not be offensive to the inhabitants of where you are going. If you are going on a work trip, you may also want to make sure you are familiar with what will be discussed/covered during the trip, and who the key players are.

If you need any supplies/equipment, be sure to obtain these items well in advance

In this I was good: I let our IT department know nearly two weeks before my trip that I was going out of town and I would need a laptop (we will not discuss whether or not ‘need’ was the appropriate word in this instance) and access to the internet. However, due to some unplanned events, somebody else ended up needing the laptop so an older relic had to be prepared for me at the last minute. I was assured that this laptop had been cleaned and would be adequate for my needs.

And regarding an internet connection: I was told that we were in possession of a portable modem which would preclude the need for purchasing internet access while on the road. As long as I was in an area where I could get cellular phone reception, my internet access should also be secured.

Of course, Murphy’s Law was only too delighted to rear its ugly head and I discovered that there is one location (so far) in the building that I am staying where I can get a signal strong enough to operate my portable modem. And after discovering this and being online for no longer than an hour, my laptop powered off on me and now refuses to turn on again.

So sometimes, even planning can’t save you…unless we blame this on a lack of planning on the part of my IT department!

Don’t be afraid to ask questions
When you get somewhere and realize that you aren’t prepared, don’t be afraid to ask people what you need to do to be prepared, or what you can do to fix the results of your lack of preparedness. In my case, I took myself to the library and explained my case and requested the use of a computer with internet access, only to discover that there are dozens of computers available for the use of people like me.

I have emailed my IT department and advised them of my dilemma. Perhaps I should have included a link to this entry also!

I have only quickly scribbled down a small number of tips to improve preparedness, what preparedness advice would you give me?

*

preparedness, prepare, Murphy’s Law

Keep up to date by subscribing to Life Tips Daily’s feed!