Action and Preparation: Revisited.

I'd like to explore this principle in a little more detail, since it was pretty late when I wrote the last post.  Please bear with with me as I work through some of these principles, half of the reason for this blog is to have an opportunity to clarify the thoughts spinning through my head.

To begin with, the reason why defining action and preparation is so important is because of emotion.  Emotion is the fuel of human endeavors.  Good or bad, what we do is driven by what we feel.  Because of this, we must be cognizant of which emotions are driving our behavior.

Large life events can require a preparatory period while we store up, refine, and de-clutter our emotional reserves so that we can apply positive energy to difficult situations.  This is what I meant by preparation.  Procrastination is not preparation.

Difficult situations must be acted upon.  We earn our bread by the sweat of our face.  If sustaining life was meant to be effortless, God wouldn't have built us to get so cranky when we're hungry.  When confronted by an difficult problem, we use a portion of our available reserves to solve it.  This is what I meant by action.

I was asked for an example of a situation with a less clearly defined prepare/act boundary.  I recently had a situation at work where it became necessary for me to confront my superior about how he was treating me.  I have always feared conflict, and in the past would have been sorely tempted to postpone the conversation.  Instead, I prepared.  I took the time to write in my journal about my feelings and my understanding of his behavior.  I spoke with my wife about how I felt and what I wanted as an equitable solution.  I refined my position so that when I broached the subject, I could be clear and precise about what I needed; and present it in a way that was as nonthreatening as I knew how.  I got a good night's sleep.  Then I acted.

I asked him for some time in private at his convenience.  We scheduled a time that worked for both of us that day.  I presented my complaint and suggested that I would be unwise to allow the given situation to continue.  I presented him with a viable alternative.  I drew a boundary between him and I so that he clearly understood which behaviors I would tolerate and which I would not.  We discussed our relationship in light of this new understanding, and the issue was resolved.

Please let me know what you think in the comments.