Last night I was at a networking event for which I had done my usual preparation. I knew exactly why I was there. My mind was clear and I was alert to new opportunities.

One of the things that struck me was how few other people seemed to be in the same situation.

Moving around the room I met unprepared person after unprepared person. Some were late because they hadn’t researched the parking. One woman didn’t have a clue who the speaker was or what it was all about. Another admitted he didn’t know why he was there and asked what was happening next.

To be honest I felt sorry for them.

They are the people who will leave the event thinking “well that was a waste of three hours”. And unfortunately they have only themselves to blame.

Arriving unprepared at an event puts your mind in a fug. At the very time you want to be coming across at your very best and you are distracted by a haze of trivia. It knocks your confidence. And it compromises your performance

Ensuring you have given consideration to the raft of logistical issues common to every event will reduce your stress levels. It will un-clutter your consciousness and leave your mind clear, with an abundance of spare capacity, to explore the opportunities demanding your attention.

That’ll make it much easier to seize the initiative and come away with a positive outcome, won’t it?