When an athlete gets to the game unprepared, it’s obvious.

When you don’t have the team jersey, or a water bottle, it’s clear to you and others: you don’t have with you what you need.

But there are other things we forget — inside and outside of sport — that are not as apparent.

A positive attitude. Empathy. A spirit of cooperation. Patience.

When you get to the locker room without your gear, you know you’ve made a mistake. You know what you have to correct.

Much harder to recognize that you’ve shown up to the conference without patience. Or that you’ve arrived at the office without empathy.

Putting a gym bag by the front door will help you to remember your critical equipment. The challenge is figuring out how to remember all those invisible things that are just as important.