Dedicated to all my fellow trip leaders out there! Learning to anticipate the needs of each team member has helped me learn how to better wrangle my kids during my days as a mother of six!
Anticipation
The art of anticipation
How can anticipation be an art form?
That sounds so strange.
To know what lies ahead
seems so simple
Like it doesn’t take any brains
Okay let’s look at a day
How many decisions we make
If we catalog each intersection
Of what lies ahead
Now I might actually begin to see
That there are a lot of demands on me
Hmmm. I’m beginning to see.
Time to get up
to fit in all that’s planned
Does it matter
If I live scattered
or place a map through my land?
Let’s see if I can see
if random can stand
Get up workout
So far so good
But wait
am I meeting my friend for a swim?
Not time for two workouts
This now leaves my time thin
If I go workout again
Will I have the minutes?
When it comes time to study
To be ready for the quizzes?
Drat. I didn’t check in
So now I don’t know
What today’s plan
Will finally look like
here in the now.
I’m beginning to think
there is something to
this new art form
that I have found.
The art of Anticipation...
Let’s try this again...
Okay we worked through a day
Now let’s try a trip
Traveling far
Now let’s be equipped.
Maps for the miles
Know where we’ll stay
There are a lot of little details
to know along the way
Time for a bathroom break?
I see one right there!
No plan?
We pass up and wait
Oh great!
The young one panics...
I’ve got to go now!
Can’t find one...
just wait!
It’s not easy now.
Hungry?
Bring food or pay?
Healthy or junk food
Must decide ahead
to have a say
Gas for the car tank
That must come easy
No plan for a stop
Oh no!
I can’t get off the road here
It is now far too sleazy
I’m really beginning to see
That every decision
Can become
a place of inefficiency
Now consider
the size of the group
One or two?
We can keep our operations
Streaming in a tight group
Now this bigger group here?
The individual preferences
Get harder to bear.
I’m hungry now
No snacks on hand
Becomes another stop
If as we stop
some don’t get out
Then timing is off
when they shout,
“I need to stop here!
I didn’t go!”
Making yes, another stop
Now my top...
I’m ready to blow!
This art of anticipation
Is actually a chance to chart
A line through the race
Which will begin to act like grace
Finding A flow through
Maintaining my pace
Not to mention a better place...
Now becomes more like
a place of peace!!!
Okay now let’s run through
the trip with a prep
Water and healthy snacks packed
Scheduled breaks...
to empty and fill
Two hours and thirty minutes
Seems to optimize the drill
The quick empty now scheduled
15 minutes for all to go will do
Five hours
means every two stops
We need a little longer time
Maybe for a quick little shop
Need to fill tanks
of two kinds
Tummies and cars
Fuels keeps cars moving
And keeps steady our minds
We don’t want to discover any
Hangry bears this time!!
The art of anticipation
is helping me to see
everything decision
can run smooth and easy
Without a plan
can leave indecision
which leaves too many moments
that might sting like a bee!
Anticipation
Just the beginning
Of considering
What else would be helpful
To plan for the day
I will start to participate
In this Art of Anticipate
Ideas to consider anticipating
forward from here:
Must wake up at a certain time?
Count 8 hours ahead
Put my head on the pillow
To ensure enough downtime.
Big Rocks First:
Sleep
Work
Daily Favorites...
—like healthy food and exercise—
that I like to take
time to do
This art of anticipating
allows me to better know
how to structure
my discretionary...
money...
and my
free-to-spend time.
Now nothing feels like an accident
When all my favorite things to do
Come first in my day as I follow
My good planned line...
straight through
Not only an hour
But a day
Then a week
Plus a month
Filling up quickly into a year
Recognizing as I get good
at this art of anticipating
it can mean I must
know my choices that come
from my values
As I’ve heard said
My wants are unlimited!!!
But my resources have caps
When my demands are too many
this leaves significant gaps...
I can run out of time...
I can run out of money...
I can run out of space...
...for my special honey...
Not to mention
remembering me
in the equation of setting
time, money, and energy
to set aside time...
—just special—
to care for me...
or for us...
or even...
this little tree
Now do you see?
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