Premeditatio malorum is rehearsal, not pessimism.

The practice imagines plausible difficulty so surprise has less power and preparation has somewhere concrete to go.

Imagine what could interfere

Before an important event, list a few realistic obstacles: delay, criticism, technical failure, rejection, fatigue. Avoid catastrophic fantasy; the point is preparation.

Rehearse your response

For each obstacle ask what a good response would look like. The exercise is incomplete if it only generates frightening pictures.

Return to the present

After preparing, stop rehearsing. Negative visualization is useful when it improves action, not when it becomes another form of anxiety.