One of the common practices that successful people do is what it is called : Premeditatio Malorum. It means “The Pre-Meditation of Evils”. It is basically visualising a future in which the worst case scenario happens. And when I am writing the “worst case scenario”, I seriously mean it.

I give you an example:

You train for your first half marathon. The race day is in 4 months from now. You get prepared, you’re excited. That’s a challenge that you wanted to do! For yourself because: “Hell yeah! I can do it!” or because you lost a bet in a pub while drinking with your mates and now you have to do it. Whatever the reason!

Here’s what a successful performer would do. He would go thought this mental exercise of pre-meditation of evils.

So what could be the worse – or let’s just say here: a bad scenario ? (You might not be warm enough yet). What would be a bad scenario that would happen to you?

2 weeks before the race: an accident happens to you and you lose sighting.

Boom.

…

I would understand (and like… 100%) that, yeah! You’re entire life would change. For sure.

But here’s what the benefit of this mental exercise will do for you:

You WON’T be shaken by this awful event that happen to you. And you WILL STILL do this bloody 13.1 miles! 

You find a guide runner – your mate you were in the pub with happens to be also training for the same race – you guys create a collaboration and this run will be THE RUN OF YOUR LIFE!

The point that I want to make is that:

We are not doing this exercise in order to attract the terrible accident. We are doing this exercise so that if shit happens:

1. It will not destabilize you

and

2. You will be able to have the mental strength of observing the flow of emotions, assessing them and then! I will be able to quickly get over this obstacle and you will find a solution!

I wrote earlier: "Successful people / performers."

Athletes do that! I saw an image of Novak Djokovic – the tennis player – on which it is was mentioned “Prepare for Failure”.

Special army forces do that too! I remember listening to an interview of Tim Kennedy (MMA fighter and Green Beret) during which he visualises the worst case scenario on a battle filed. That would make you prepared!

Astronauts do that as well. In their training. And they in fact, with all of their simulators and engineers, on purpose: they create stressful situations! Because it is life or death up there! Just like on a battle field.

Now here’s the take away for you: Spare the moment to visualise awful scenarios.

I have been doing that every morning for… ages!

My alarm rings. I’m still in bed. I take my sports watch. It is set with a count down timer of 4 minutes. I start the timer, remain in bed, and visualise shit things happening to me but also! What are the next 5 seconds would be like: How would I react? What would you say? What would be the best behaviour to adopt in this particular moment?

Be prepared. Because shit happens. You don't know when. 

And you want to be prepared! 

You want to be that guy who knows what to do.

Cliff Celi