A whistle early beats a rescue later. Small corrections cost less than big saves.

Small corrections are cheaper in every way than the emergencies they prevent. A word early costs a moment of mild awkwardness, while the thing it would have prevented costs far more and arrives once the options have run out. The problem is that early warnings always feel like fussing, since the disaster they averted never becomes visible. Prevention is unglamorous by design.

Say the small thing this week while it is still small: the tired friend, the mistake in the draft, the plan that will not quite work. Keep it brief and specific rather than a general warning. Expect it to feel unnecessary, which is what success looks like here.