It may seem odd to worry about a positive outcome, but that’s exactly what we need to do to avoid being snowed under.
Prepare for the worst by asking about any outcome: What happens if it turns out poorly? This allows us to avoid the worst-case scenario. What is also important is to ask the obverse: What happens if it turns out well? What challenges will success bring?
In decision-making, **a preparade **asks you to imagine your celebration parade and plan for it. Imagine it’s a year from today and the decision has been a wild success. How do you ensure you’re ready for that time?
For a solopreneur, it may be thinking beyond the product to the distribution and administrative overheads.
For a breakout pop star, it may be about having a strong support system that shields her from outside noise.
For a tech startup, it may be about building scalable processes so that founders can stay focused on the long term without fire-fighting all the time.
The book _Decisive _advises us to not think of the future as a single scenario that we must try and predict accurately. It suggests we think of the spectrum of possibilities bookended by total failure and roaring success. While it is common to worry about avoiding failure, it is gainful to ready ourselves for success.
Imagining a successful future is not overconfidence. Believing that you can precisely predict the future to a point is. Just as a premortem insures us against adversity, a preparade lets us cash in on our Oprah moment and build on success that may last for years.