A day in the life : Day 446

This week, I ran into a problem that sounds harmless but kept slowing me down — over-preparing. Before starting anything, I kept gathering more information, checking examples, and refining plans. It felt responsible, but it quietly turned into avoidance. By the time I was “ready,” half the day was gone. Around then, I kept seeing people talk about the trend of “just-in-time prep,” where you only prepare enough to start and figure out the rest as you go.

I decided to test it on a small task. Instead of outlining everything, I gave myself ten minutes to prepare and then started. The first few minutes felt risky, like I was skipping steps. But once I got going, most of the questions answered themselves. I didn’t need all that upfront clarity — I needed momentum.

There was one hiccup. I missed a small detail because I hadn’t checked it earlier, which meant a quick correction later. It wasn’t a big issue, but it reminded me that this approach isn’t about rushing. It’s about not delaying unnecessarily. A quick check at the right moment works better than endless preparation at the start.

The weather’s been warmer during the day and cooler in the evenings, which has been throwing my energy off a bit. I’ve adjusted by eating lighter lunches and keeping dinner simple. Heavy food plus mental overthinking is not a great combination. Feeling physically lighter made it easier to act instead of plan endlessly.

By the end of the week, I noticed I was starting things faster. Not perfectly, but faster. And once started, things moved on their own.

This trend isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about trusting that clarity often comes after action, not before it. Preparing feels safe, but progress usually begins the moment you stop getting ready and actually begin.