The Random Cage Effect: Why Preparation Beats Planning

This is one of my strongest held beliefs:Preparation beats planning.Planning is based on the expectation of order. Preparation is based on the expectation of chaos.And as I recently found out, there's real science to support it.In 1994, researchers gathered 30 collegiate baseball players for an experiment. One group practiced hitting pitches in a fixed order. Another received pitches in a completely randomized order.During practice, the fixed-order group looked better. But in a real game-like session, the random group performed significantly better.I call this the Random Cage Effect.In this piece, I talk about how I've applied this lesson to my own life and why preparing for chaos leads to better real-world outcomes...•••This episode brought to you by:DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place.Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed.Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.