Are you prepared?

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.”

-Alan Armstrong

“Be Prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. It’s direct, clear, and concise. It’d be pretty hard to misunderstand its meaning. It raises a question, though: Be prepared for what?

Think about your own journey for a moment. How can you be prepared for whatever comes your way? By becoming more resilient.

Consider these 4 ways you can boost your resilience when faced with daily demands - or the unexpected - of your job, career, or life:

1 Educate yourself. What will you need to know, understand, and apply to be effective in your job, career, or calling?

2 Note needs. What will you need to know to be effective today as you go about meeting people, helping them understand your product or service, instructing them on how to use a computer, influencing them to consider your approach?

3 Ask questions. What type of powerful questions do you need to utilize to encourage others to provide valuable information?

4 Listen closely. What active listening skills do you need to develop, to hear what is really being said?

Being prepared can be hard work. Sometimes, it’s lonely work. Sometimes, it’s even boring work. But it’s necessary work for success in work and in life. And, it’s work that requires careful planning.

To celebrate like a champion, you must prepare like a champion.