Preparation feels excessive until the moment everyone else wishes they had done it.

Preparation always looks disproportionate beforehand, because you are spending real hours on a problem that has not appeared yet and may not. That asymmetry is why most people skip it, and it is also why the small number who do it seem unusually calm when conditions change. Being ready is not impressive until it is needed, at which point it is the only thing that matters. The reward is invisible right up to the moment it becomes obvious.

Pick the one situation in your life that would hurt most if it arrived unprepared, and do a modest amount about it this week. A saved month of expenses, a backup, a documented process, a difficult conversation had early. You will feel slightly foolish doing it, which is usually the sign that it is the right time.