IF YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED TO THIS WEEK'S PODCAST EPISODE, YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT AT THIS LINK PIT006

I don’t know how many of you were ever in the Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. I was in the Cub Scouts many, many years ago and one of my boys was in Cub Scouts in early elementary school. Never made it to the Boy Scout level. Even if you were never in the Scouts, you have probably still heard the Boy Scout motto…and no it isn’t “Live Long and Prosper”. That’s different, that is Spock from Star Trek. No, this motto is “Be Prepared.”

What are we supposed to be prepared for? Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, wrote in his 1908 handbook Scouting for Boys that they “are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.” That saying has become a motto that is a part of our culture: we all know it, have heard it, sometimes state it from a positive perspective and often state it in a sarcastic manner.

While we all know this, and we all like the idea, this is something that not all of us put to practice in our lives. Some folks do not think like this. Details, planning and prepping do not come naturally. 

But what about you? Are you a person that just jumps into action and goes at it without thought…”nah, I’ll figure it out as I go” or are you a person that likes the details and planning? Are you someone that doesn’t like surprises and the idea of not being prepared stresses you out?

When I was in school, I was the one that didn’t mind spur of the moment experiences. However, as I’ve gotten older, gotten married, had children, worked multiple jobs and had more responsibilities, I’ve grown to really dislike not being prepared, nor do I like surprises. My wife knows this about me and tries to make sure she lets me know what is going on. She tries to make sure “it is on the calendar” so I see it. 

You know, when it comes to barbecue, planning and preparing is a must especially when feeding multiple people for an event. There is a lot to consider and plan for. You need to know what food is being requested and then know how many folks will be there so you can plan the amount of food needed for the cook. You need to know where you will be set up in relation to the eating venue. You will need to know what type of cooker you will be cooking on. What time are the guests eating so you know what time you have to start cooking? That doesn’t just mean cook time. You have to plan ahead to make sure the fire is going in time for the meat to go on at the correct time. Are you providing the serving utensils or is the venue? Are you getting the meat or are they? Oh, and one of the most important things for planning and preparing for a large barbecue cook is knowing if you can EVEN do the cook. What does your calendar look like? Do you even know? Do you prepare your calendar on a regular basis so you are organized enough to know if you are possibly double-booking yourself?

I am releasing a barbecue packing packet that is actually part of the packet I use when I cook for different larger events, especially when I’m traveling to do an event. I put it together after experiencing my own mistakes. One instance stands out to me. I cooked a while back for an event that was about an hour from my home. I had my dad help me out so we could get some time together, he could learn more about what I do and then just for the added help. It was going to be a cook that started in the very early morning hours and so I needed some help staying alert, awake and energized. Most everything went as planned and expected, but my list of questions did not include anything related to storage of the small meats. I finished up the large meats and started to get the small meat out to prep and boom, still partially frozen. If you know anything about cooking barbecue, this is not good when you are in a time crunch. Needless to say, after some added stress, frustration and adjustments to the cook, I was able to get the small meats out to the guests…30 minutes late. The guests did not know any different, but the event planner and I knew. And I was embarrassed. I know what I’m doing. I know how this works! And I call myself a pitmaster? Ughhh…

It turned out fine, and the guests loved all of the meat. I had many compliments even from the event planner. The guests asked if i owned a bbq place, if i did catering on the regular and even down to the question of “can I get the seasoning recipe?”. My dad loved it and said he was really excited to see just what all goes into cooking barbecue like that and was impressed at how well prepared and organized I was. And he loved watching me break through the issue with the small meats, getting back on track and getting it taken care of. 

You better believe that question made it to my list going forward.

How does this translate into our daily lives? What types of things might you want to or need to plan and prepare for? Why do we need to plan and prepare in our lives? I feel like this probably seems pretty obvious to you and yet I see examples of not planning and prepping all around me.

Right now, my son and his fiancee are in the wedding planning phase. We are all discussing what still needs to be done before December 9th. I’m the kind that needs to know what is left for us to do and I need it on a list so I can see it. I don’t want us all “trying to remember so that we remember what we are trying to remember while we try to remember what it is we are trying to remember to get done”. That’s too stressful. 

I’m all about lists. My wife, she is not. She laughs at my lists and makes fun of my packing lists that I have. I am kind of a nerd when it comes to this but I don’t need to waste time trying to remember everything. I just open up my packing list and my backpack/office packing lists on Evernote and run down the list. I think the conversation between me and my wife sent something like this: 

A few trips ago, we were getting ready for bed the first night of our trip and she told me she forgot everyone’s toothbrushes. I told her I had mine. And then I probably said in a sarcastic tone that “I thought you have been packing for the family for 24 years and you didn’t need a packing list.” 

My point is this: having a plan and being prepared is being proactive. Being proactive is taking control of your time and your life. Three famous thought leaders address this and I love these statements:

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want life just happening to me. I don’t want someone else wasting my time and controlling my schedule. I don’t want to live up to someone else’s plan for me. I want to be living my own plan!

What thoughts come to your mind if I were to ask you for some examples of things we might consider planning and preparing for? Take a few seconds to think of some examples. Here are some things I can think of right off the bat:

What about some deeper areas or projects:

Those are just a few examples that just scratch the surface and are different for each of us. 

Now, take a few more seconds to think about where you need to start planning and preparing? Do you need to revisit some of the areas I just listed? If you have these under control already, I’m proud of you and glad you are being proactive in those areas. For those of you who are not planning and preparing, then hey, it’s not too late. You’ve got this. It only takes a few minutes to get some of these things under control. And I know what some of you are probably thinking: Tony, I am swamped. I am overwhelmed. I am so busy that I am not sure how I am supposed to find time to stop and think of these kinds of things. And I get you. I’ve been there. I’ve felt overwhelmed. I’ve felt that burnout. I’ve lived it for years and I feel and know your pain. And we will address things like this in other episodes and this will be part of the Pit Room community, and I coach and mentor others to help them find time and take control.

Now guys, I’m not saying there should be no room for adventure or sporadic actions. I don’t think that everything has to be tied to exact details and no venturing away from those. That isn’t real life. Things are going to pop up at the last minute. You will be interrupted, the car will break down, the fire will go out in the cooker…you can just keep filling in the blank there with various things that can happen. Bro, life happens! And, I’m not talking about doomsday preparations. If you know anything about the Enneagram numbers, sixes think through these types of things and so my wife is waiting for me to come and tell her I’ve been secretly building a doomsday bunker. Just so you know, I am not. But, that might be on my “someday - maybe” list!

But if you are wanting to live a life of intention, lesson 9’s principle of planning and preparing is an essential part of the makeup of an intentional lifestyle. It will reduce stress, will allow you to communicate expectations in a clear and concise way and will help guide you and your direction. It will help you stay on track in purpose and action. And that is what we are after. That is what the Lessons from the Pit are all about. Living a life around the pit is about more than just cooking great barbecue. It is about living a life full of intention and connection and one of the ways to live a life on purpose with less stress and more excitement is by planning and being prepared. You will be on top of things and will be living, as Robert Baden-Powell wrote in Scouting for Boys “always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.” 

This week I am actually giving you two tips for the week; one for barbecue and one for life. The first one is a barbecue tip that has already been mentioned: if you are ever cooking for a large group of people or at an event away from your normal cooking location, make sure you have a list prepared ahead of time that makes sure you ask the right questions and take the necessary tools and supplies to the event. The second tip is simple and related to your money. Set up an emergency fund in a savings account. Rainy days are gonna come. Emergencies will happen. Your tires are going to need to be replaced. The roof is going to leak. Medical bills are a thing. Murphy’s law is a thing. Plan, prepare and be proactive so that financial emergencies are no longer emergencies. They are now just annoying. Be prepared!

This week, I am releasing a Barbecue Planning and Preparation packet that will be available for purchase on my website later this week that gives you a “mobile” packing list, a list of “event” questions and then suggestions on calculating meat and/or sides per person so you always have enough food. There is no need to be stressed because you weren’t prepared, and you do not want to be embarrassed because you didn’t have enough food. This packet will help you avoid these types of mistakes and the embarrassment and frustration that comes with it. Visit www.lifearoundthepit.com/planandpreppack to get the Barbecue Planning and Preparation pack. You will want this.

Remember: BBQ is known for being low and slow cooking that produces a fantastic reward. Life as a pitmaster is the same. You have to put in the low and slow efforts to produce the fantastic reward: a legacy of impact! Until next time: season some meat, start a fire, and make an impact!

IF YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED TO THIS WEEK'S PODCAST EPISODE, YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT AT THIS LINK PIT006

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