Anticipation is an invaluable skill that comes with the reward of having a picture of possible outcomes before things unfold. To anticipate is to peek at the past and predict what the future holds.

I’ve been thinking about being in the present and how to do this, there is an element of latency involved. The speed at which you can morph yourself to stay in the position of maximal advantage is just how “in the moment” you are. If you transform too quickly, you can be early and pay the price of predictability. No matter how good the singing is, if a member of the choir starts before everyone else, the piece is sabotaged.

On the other hand, to lag behind is to miss the window of opportunity. Hesitation leads to reacting instead of directing, forcing you to catch up rather than dictate the flow. In basketball, a delayed pass allows the opponent to anticipate and intercept. This raises the reality of how windows of opportunity are like sliding doors that open and close in front and in relation to one another. One person’s missed opportunity is another’s opening, and the timing of action determines who seizes the advantage. Just as in music, where a beat too late disrupts the rhythm, or in business, where a slow reaction to the market leaves you trailing competitors, life unfolds in a sequence of shifting opportunities.

The key is not just awareness but alignment. Reading the unfolding happenings and stepping through the correct door on time.

In conversation, a late response loses its impact. How many times do we come up with the perfect retort after an argument? Truth is, the moment is gone and no matter how perfect the point, it wasn’t said at the time so it doesn’t hold water anymore.

It’s useful to anticipate what might happen, but predictions are just possibilities at the end of the day, and overcommitting to a prediction can make you unable to adapt to the ever-changing reality.

Being truly present is not about clinging to one approach, whether it is overplanning or knee-jerk reactions. It is about holding predictions lightly, adjusting as reality unfolds, and moving in rhythm with the moment.