04.28.08
Preparing for Massive Success
Builders all know that the foundation of a building is very important if you want to build a tall building that will last. Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity. We never know what the future holds, and the better prepared we are, the better we can take advantage of the situation and turn life’s lemons into lemonade. Tim Larkin, says, “You never know how many people you’re fighting until you’re fighting them all.”
Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe Frazier said, “You can have a life plan or a fight plan, but when the action starts, you’re down to your reflexes - your training. If you’ve cheated on your training in the dark of the morning, you’ll be found out under the bright lights.” You can only wing it for so long. I see this in business all the time. People get up to introduce me as the speaker or seminar leader all the time, and it’s amazing how many of them haven’t prepared. As they wing it, they make the most atrocious mistakes. They get their numbers and facts confused, and it reflects badly on me and the person introducing me.
Being well prepared allows you to get the edge on all those who try to do things at the last minute, by the seat of their pants, show up late, forget things, and don’t deliver on time, if at all. They over-promise, under-deliver, and sabotage their own credibility and success. Worst of all, they deny themselves future opportunities because they develop a reputation for being unreliable, so they get the scraps.
Take the time to prepare well, to train more, to know more than your competition, to be better conditioned, locked and loaded, mean and lean, fit, focused, and fierce. Do your homework, show up early, and look the part. Build on trust, integrity, and solid relationships. Build with solid material and solid JV partners. The hype and flash lasts about as long as a bubble on a muddy river. Build your house on a rock. J.B. Matthews said, “Unless a man has trained himself for his chance, the chance will only make him look ridiculous. ”
I tell DollarMakers Club Members to prepare strong fishing nets and learn to fish before venturing out. I see people in the middle of huge shoals of hungry fish, and they’re falling around in the water trying to buy a fishing pole and asking what bait to use, while the smart ones are pulling the fish out by the bucket-load. Abe Lincoln said, “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first hour sharpening the axe.” Confidence and courage come through preparation and practice. Success is by design, not by chance. Gary Player said, “The harder I practiCe, the luckier I get.” Spend an extra hour preparing and save months of wasted time. Professionals expect to succeed, plan to succeed, prepare to succeed, then succeed.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
