Running a race.
Losing weight.
Eliminating debt.
Taking a test.
Giving a speech.
Starting a business.
One common factor will determine success.
PREPARATION
I always know when I’ve prepared well for any given situation. Whether it’s a test, a race, or a speech I’m about to give. I feel comfortable and confident when I’ve put in the time, the work, the effort, the preparation, the studying. When I’ve done the work and have properly prepared, the results, more often than not, will positively reflect it.
I understand that there are those one-off situations every once in a while where our results are favorable with little preparation. I’ve been there. There have been a few half marathons that I have ran where I did not train as well as I know I could have and should have but still managed to do well, luckily. Let’s not leave our success and happiness to chance though.
Success is where preparation meets opportunity.
If I run a race and my time isn’t what I expected and I feel terrible during the run, is it safe to say I didn’t train or prepare as well enough for the race as I could have?
If my goal is to lose weight and I say that I am exercising and eating healthy but still not losing weight, is it safe to say that I am not exercising or eating as well as I say I am?
If I’m giving a speech and I’m very nervous, fumbling my words and delivery, is it safe to say I didn’t prepare enough for the speech, the ideas, concepts, and material I am delivering?
If I take a test and the results are not favorable, is it safe to say I didn’t study as much as I could have?
Our results are a direct reflection of our preparation, how much time and effort we spent preparing ourselves.
OUR RESULTS ARE DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO OUR PREPARATION
Again, there will always be those one-off situations where regardless of how much training you’ve done for a race, for whatever reason, your body just doesn’t want to cooperate with you that day. The test you studied for day and night isn’t what or how you thought it would be. The speech you’re about to give, that you can recite word for word, you are still very nervous about. Yes, these can happen, but situations like these become far and few between when we’ve properly prepared.
Some of the best races I have ran have been because of the time, effort, and commitment I made to training.
Some of the best speeches and presentations I’ve delivered, where I felt most confidence, have come from me practicing the speech over and over and over again.
Some of my most successful clients have lost the weight they’ve lost because of the time, effort, work, and sacrifices they’ve made that is necessary to lose the weight.
Tests that should have kicked my ass where instead, I kicked theirs, such as the National Athletic Trainer’s Association test and pretty much all of my graduate school gross anatomy tests, came from hours and sleepless nights of constant preparation and studying.
Put in the time, put in the effort, do the work, prepare, and you will prevail.
Be Honest With Yourself
We’ve all done it. I know I have. Where we tell ourselves we did all we could have. That there was nothing else that we could have done differently, better, or more of to have achieved the results we wanted. Sometimes it’s true, sometimes it’s not. What we do know is….
RESULTS DON’T LIE
If you prepare properly for a test, you will do well on the test.
If you prepare properly for a race, you will do well and feel well during the race.
If you exercise and eat properly on a regular basis, you will lose weight.
If you properly prepare to deliver a speech or presentation, it will be flawless.
Success Favors The Prepared
4 Steps For Proper Preparation
1. Understand
If you’re running a race, understand and get familiar with the course. Know where the hills are, where you can push a bit more and where you need to hold back. If you want to lose weight, understand why it’s important to eat 6 small meals a day, why weight training is more important than cardio, and what foods contribute most to weight loss. If you’re looking to eliminate debt, understand finances and how interest works. Buy a book, take a class or an online course. Knowledge is power.
2. Practice
If you’re going to be giving a speech, practice, practice, and then practice some more. Do it in front of a mirror, in front of family or friends. Time yourself. Know it well enough so you don’t need notes or reference cards. If you’re studying for a test, study the material, the concepts. Understand the ideas, definitions, theories. Be able to explain each one and give examples of each.
3. Connect
If you’re looking to start a business, reach out, connect, and talk to those who are already in the position you want to be in and are already operating a similar business. Ask them for advice, what’s working for them, what’s not, and what they would have done differently if they could do it all over again. If you’re training for your first marathon, join a running group and connect with others who have already ran a marathon and can offer you some suggestions, tips, and words of support and encouragement.
4. Believe
Whatever it is you’re doing or looking to achieve, create, or conquer, before you even have a chance at any of it, you must first believe in yourself completely. You must believe that you can and will achieve whatever it is you’re after. You will create what it is you want, you will succeed, you will prevail. You must believe this wholeheartedly before success in any arena is yours. Believe in yourself.
“Before Anything Else, Preparation Is The Key To Success.”
~ Alexander Graham Bell ~
*What preparation techniques have you found success with? Which of the four preparation steps mentioned here have you used yourself? What’s been your experience? Please share your experience with me in the comments below.
Featured Image: Late Night Prep For The Wellness Bucket Launch
