Catastrophe planning must happen before the catastrophe

11 Mar 2026

The only time catastrophe planning is effective is before the catastrophe. During a crisis, cognitive load is maximal, emotional regulation is compromised, and options narrow rapidly. Every decision made mid-crisis is more expensive — financially, emotionally, and temporally — than the same decision made in advance.

Wills, powers of attorney, emergency funds, insurance, medical relationships: none of these have value during the emergency unless they were created before it.

The Stoic practice of premeditatio malorum — premeditation of evils — encodes this as a discipline: imagine what could go wrong, and prepare for it while conditions are calm. This is not pessimism. It is the precondition for genuine optionality.

The practical implication: the documents not yet signed, the appointments not yet booked, the conversations not yet had with the people who matter most — these are not optional when conditions are good. They are urgent precisely because conditions are good and the window is open.