Personal Preparation

A couple years ago, my friend Travis and I climbed a glacier in New Zealand. One does not just drive right up to the side of a glacier, get out of the car and start climbing. The glacier continually moves, so they can't build a parking lot right beside it. In addition, this glacier was surrounded by a beautiful rain forest that should not be disturbed by traffic. Thus, we had to follow a steep trail through the rain forest to arrive at the edge of the glacier. After about an hour of hiking into the rain forest, we paused for water. I was winded. Travis was fine. I attributed this difference to the fact that Travis runs on a regular basis, so his cardiovascular health is much better than mine. Because of his exercise habits, Travis was more prepared for the hike than I was. The difference was vast enough that I was not having any fun, and Travis was happily snapping pictures of the rain forest as we hiked. Later, once we got up onto the glacier, our skills were more matched and we had a truly memorable day.

Preparation has a significant effect on your experience of an event. Travis and I were both hiking on the same trail, but his preparation made the experience much more pleasant for him than for me. Travis did not train specifically for the glacier, but his life habits had the accidental effect of of preparing him.

Sometimes we actively prepare for something we know will happen, and sometimes we end up being prepared simply because of our previous life experiences.

What challenges are approaching for which you should actively prepare? What recent challenges have you been more prepared for than you at first expected?