The 6 Ps of Success
P #3 – PREPARATION
(click here to read the first “P” – passion)
I think I have a pretty good outlook regarding life and success both on and off the stage. I always expect that good thinks will happen for me. And, so far, it seems that good things have happened for me.
People often say that I’m lucky but I disagree. For me, “luck” seems to be a very accidental sort of thing. It’s the type of thing that you have little or no control of. I believe that dependence on luck makes one a victim of ones environment and takes away control of your results.
I believe that good things happen to those that look for opportunities AND are prepared to take advantage of those opportunities.
I’d rather be Ready than Lucky.
Preparation is the key to success. That means being ready to look for, recognize and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. This is an active process and requires effort. The more prepared you are, the more likely success will occur for you.
And just so you don’t think I am naïve in the ways of the world… I do realize that things don’t always go your way. I have personally dealt with some incredible challenges in my life. That’s why it is critical that you don’t only prepare for when things go right. You also have to prepare for when things go sideways on you. That way when things don’t go as expected, you have a plan of action and the skills needed to get thing back on track quickly.
For entrepreneurs and speakers that means planning, coaching, research, feedback and practice-practice-practice.
Successful speakers don’t get in from of a group and “wing it.” I have roughly 6,000 hours of stage time presenting in front of groups. I have probably spent more than three times that amount of time in practice, coaching and preparation.
To this day I spend hours each night preparing for a talk that I may have given over 100 times before. It’s not that I forgot the information. I can pretty much recite nearly 200 pages of script verbatim. I practice and study so that when I do hit the stage, I no longer need to be in my head, worried about what I am going to say next, and allow myself to be truly present in the room. That’s when great things happen.
Remember:
Being READY is better than being LUCKY
Thought for the day:
What are you doing to prepare for your success and what skills do you need to develop to get there?
