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Time Management
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Keeping Abreast of the Times
It may seem an obvious point, but the truth is that antici-
pating the future involves knowledge of both the past and
the present.
You can dramatically improve your ability to predict upcoming
events (and your chances of forestalling future problems) if you simply
keep your eyes and ears open.The more you know about what’s going
on around you, the more likely you are to recognize when events are
moving in a direction that might impact you.
For instance, gossip isn’t always useless. If you’ve heard that your
boss may be up for a promotion, you anticipate the possible changes. If
she gets it, you may also be promoted. On the other hand, you may
stay where you are and get a new boss. Either way, it’s smart to make
sure that you’re ready and stay alert to signs of changes.

and pesky: cell phone calls disconnect, computers crash, people
you need to talk to fail to return your calls. Confusion not only
reigns, it pours. Murphy was probably an optimist.
But there’s another, very old saying that embodies the tactic
for defeating chaos: “A stitch in time saves nine.” Foresight is
indeed one of the most precious talents you can possess.

How Well Do You Anticipate?

Here are some examples of behaviors—some important, some
trivial but telling—that characterize people with foresight. How
many of them apply to you?

• They make a copy of every document they write or sign.
• They reconfirm appointments made some time ago.
• They keep a pad and pencil beside their phones.
• They keep maps in their cars.
• They keep service manuals for home appliances in a
place where they can be quickly found.
• They have their cars serviced regularly.
• They’re prepared, in case of sickness, to have someone
at work cover their responsibilities with reasonable effi-
ciency.