Day 15 of 21 Days of Futures Fit Learning Anticipatory Planning

15 Apr 2026 · 2 min

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2:28

In this instructional video, Charlotte Kemp explains how worst-case scenario thinking, rooted in the Stoic practice of premeditatio malorum, triggers physiological stress responses that impair rational business decision‑making. She describes how the brain treats imagined threats like real ones, releasing cortisol and adrenaline, which can lead to emotionally driven choices. Kemp then outlines a structured anticipatory planning process: first, deliberately sit with the anxiety in a safe, calm environment; second, allow the body’s stress response to run its course; third, draft concrete response plans while the mind is clear. She emphasizes the importance of allocating dedicated, uninterrupted time—an hour in a low‑stress setting—to conduct this exercise, rather than attempting it during high‑pressure moments. By rehearsing scenarios and creating practical plans ahead of time, individuals build both mental resilience and actionable strategies to handle future disruptions effectively.

Chapters

The worst decisions are made often under extreme pressure when something unexpected happens and the emotions rise and we respond instead of think. There's an old Stoic practice called premeditatio malorum. It's a premeditation of evils. It has us sit with that worst-case scenario and contemplate what could happen, whether it's a business event or a looming future anxiety. When we think about that, our brain can't tell the difference between the thought and the actual real experience. So it creates all the chemicals, the cortisol and the adrenaline, to deal with this potential threat. And our body responds with all the physiological ways it does in the muscles and the sweat glands. And that's because our bodies are helping us to prepare for this anxiety. But that's a really bad place to make a business decision or to create a strategy from. So we need to sit with this experience, allow our bodies to experience it, to get past that, to know that we're in a safe place, and then to draft a potential set of plans that can respond to that anxiety. That is how scenario planning works. That is anticipatory planning, deciding, creating those plans before it's emotional. And it does take some time to develop properly. So carve out some time, an hour or so, to sit with an exercise like this to to work through it all and then to explore all of the rational opportunities that come up on the other side of those emotions. Once you have those scenarios and those practical plans to respond to them, you're then equipped to deal with anything that could happen in between. You have the practical plans, but you also have the mental and emotional capacity to deal with any disruption that is in that space because you know that you've rehearsed it. But please know that this is a serious exercise. You don't do it on a Monday morning. You don't do it before a big important delivery. Carve out some separate safe time to do that exercise in, and then see how those plans can be put in place when you get back into the workplace.