Two Steps Ahead

You can’t plan for everything. But you can often make a difficult situation easier by thinking just a little ahead.

Step 1: What would be helpful to have ready?

Think about the things that could be harder to find, remember, or figure out when something unexpected happens—your medication list, how you’ll get home from the hospital, who to call, how a bill gets paid, who could care for a pet, or where an important paper is kept.

Step 2: What can I do now to make that easier?

Write something down. Put information where it can be found. Talk to someone. Ask a question. Find a local resource. Fill out a printable. Make one small plan.

You don’t have to do everything. Pick one thing that would be useful to have ready and start there. Come back and choose another when you’re ready.