🔥

Fire Drills Aren’t Just for Fires

Remember those fire drills at school? They weren’t really about sprinting to the playground. They were about something way bigger: how practicing can help you stay chill when chaos hits. What no one told us back then is that the same skills we used to line up and follow the plan can help turn life’s messiest moments—arguments, surprises, setbacks—into manageable situations, as long as we prep for them.

Where This Idea Started

So here’s the deal: I just got off a tense phone call, and my head was spinning. The other person kept dodging my questions with, “I don’t know, we’ll see when it happens.” No plan. No prep. Just winging it and hoping for the best.

And honestly? That hit a nerve—not in an angry way, but in a lightbulb-going-off kind of way.

Why wait for the chaos when you can have a plan ready to roll?

Instead of unloading my epiphany on him, I took the idea and fine-tuned it. A little later, I threw it onto Facebook, and the words just flowed like a signal flare: Fire drills aren’t just for fires. They’re the cheat code for staying cool under pressure.

Practice Over Panic

Think about it: in a real fire, the alarm goes off, your heart races, but if you’ve practiced the drill enough times, your body takes over. You just move. No freezing, no panic—just action.

They didn’t exactly spell this out in assembly, but it’s the secret sauce: rehearsal equals control.

I’ve seen it play out in my own life. Whether it’s prepping for my hypnotherapy license or laying the groundwork for my non-profit, planning ahead takes the edge off the unknown. Stress hits way harder when you’re winging it and drowning in the what-ifs. But when you map things out—talk through it, practice it, share it—you suddenly feel like you’ve got this. The fear? It doesn’t stand a chance.

Ready, Not Overthinking

Here’s the thing: there’s a balance. Being prepared doesn’t mean being paranoid. I try to walk that line every day. Sure, I plan out tough conversations or rehearse for public speaking gigs, but I also roll with the punches when life throws a curveball.

Life’s messy. It always will be. But having a plan in your back pocket? That’s what keeps you grounded when things get wild.

So yeah, that phone call? It gave me this little nugget of wisdom. What started as a frustrating moment turned into a spark—for my memoir, my talks, and the way I handle life in general.

Fire drills aren’t just some school thing. They’re for anyone who’s ready to face the heat and come out stronger on the other side.