Preparation supports action when it supplies a required input or reduces a meaningful risk. It replaces action when it keeps producing new planning artifacts after the next feasible output is already clear.
Compare the operations, not a score
| Question or field | Fictional completed example |
|---|---|
| Required input? | Working microphone |
| Preparation endpoint? | One successful test |
| Extra preparation? | Fourth editing tutorial |
| Next output? | Record a two-minute segment |
| Review? | Listen for the actual editing need |
A worked situation: Working microphone
Fictional example. A podcaster needs a microphone test before recording. Browsing a fourth editing tutorial after a successful test creates another preparation artifact, while a short recorded segment would produce evidence.
Give preparation an exit condition
Ask which input is necessary for the next real output. Write the point at which that input is sufficient and the action that follows it. Another outline can be preparation when it resolves a missing structure, or a substitute when the usable structure already exists. Kerub’s Mental Masturbation lens asks that operational question; it does not condemn all planning.