Prep and Landing

Fire! Just do it! Get moving! Make it happen!

Great mantras. And sometimes they really work. But often, they miss something very important. Proper preparation.

It was Christmas Eve and the sleigh was heading toward little Timmy’s house to deliver his presents.  Only problem was Wayne, the brooding, 227 year prep vet, who lost sight of his mission: Prep the house for Santa’s arrival.  The show isn’t really about the power of preparation, but the point is clear. Without proper preparation, the mission is in danger and often will fail.  Wayne’s focus shifted from his mission – prep and landing – to his promotion, which he didn’t get. Hence the brooding and lost focus during his mission.  Fortunately, his goofy, rookie partner, Lanny, helped him get back on track, and Timmy got his presents, after all. Whew!

Proper preparation is key.  For the high paced, hard chargers, it requires tremendous patience. For those on the other side – the detailed, do-it-right at all costs – this might be the quicksand that keeps us from taking our shot. 

I’ve heard it said that luck is the place where opportunity and preparation meet. Sometimes, opportunity comes, and we are not prepared. Sometimes we are prepared and still don’t jump at the opportunity. That’s a different challenge…

I’ve struggled with this preparation thing most of my life. It does not come naturally, so I must be very deliberate to follow through. Scheduling time to plan and building the accountability to execute on that intention is a weekly effort for me – one I win much more now than in past years. The more I do it, the better I get. And, thanks to my wife, I have a prep rock star to help me along the way. Ask her about running out of gas in the middle of the night just over the Georgia border or about our drive to DC when we were first married. She left the preparation to me in those instances, and we have some very funny stories as a result! Though, they weren’t all that funny at the time.

Preparation.

Are you ready for the next sales call? Are you ready for the upcoming coaching session? Are you prepared for the next proposal? Are you prepared for your next day, priorities in place, which, upon achievement, will have the greatest impact on your ultimate goal? Did you build a plan for a successful today and tomorrow?

You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again. Plan your work, then work your plan. Planning comes first. Then, it’s time to execute.