I did a thing I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I went to Colette Baron-Reid’s Oracle Palooza Virtual. It was 3 days of guided meditations, journaling, small breakouts and general self-reflection in a big-time woo-woo tent. (Yes, the circus reference is intentional.)

I got a lot of things out of it, but there is one thing that I really, really want to share NOW, because It’s changing the way I do a lot of things. For me, it’s making things easier.

I have always been a preparer. I am not a procrastinator, unless I absolutely do not want to do something and believe that there is a greater than 50% chance that it might not need to be done if I wait. I’m the one who wrote her term papers in the first month or two, so that I wouldn’t have to study for finals and write at the same time. (Of course, that backfired a bit because all my friends were procrastinators and no one was free to play with me.)

I pack the weekend before a trip. So what? I’m a little defensive about this.

I have never had to shop for gifts on Christmas eve.

I haven’t run out of gas in over 30 years. I haven’t ever run out of toilet paper. I have back up for all of the important things – like cat and dog food, journals, purple pens, lavender essential oil, books on Kindle…you know, the essentials.

I haven’t written a presentation the night before a meeting in years.

Get it? I like to be prepared. In past lives I was probably in the Donner Party or something, because I really brought the lesson home this time. Actually, I know that it came from my childhood, but I don’t really need to repeat that story to myself.

Okay so what I want to share is that I get the difference between being prepared and being ready. For me, prepared is probably more accurately diagnosed as over-prepared. It has served me really well in my career, so I’m not complaining. It’s just time for a change.

Prepared is a set of actions.

Ready is a state of mind.

Ready is easier. Ready also means I’m more flexible. I don’t have everything locked down beforehand. I’m open for last minute synchronicity, intuition and inspiration. If I’m ready, I actually have to trust in something besides my own preparation, my own actions

It may sound like a tiny tweak, but actually it’s huge. It’s a relief.

Here’s how it’s affecting my work self: I’m prioritizing thinking and reflecting time ahead of doing time. I’m letting my wisdom and experience have time to weigh in as I mull things over, instead of going straight to the action or the plan or the task.

I feel just fine being ready.

In the meantime, remember these things: You are loved. We are all loved. Let’s all be kind. And in all things – progress, not perfection!

Maggie