We have all heard the saying, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Failure, I will argue, is a by-product of poor preparation, in most cases. People are always talking about how they are waiting for their big break, or if they were just given the right the opportunities. That would mean that they would have to be prepared when the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, the majority are simply not prepared to be elevated to their next level.

We have a bad habit of talking more about what you would do given the opportunity than actually working hard to create that reality. You see, we must be prepared for our big break, I believe that when the preparation is sacrificed, you may find yourself in a position of making poor decisions, without regard to the bigger picture.

You simply cannot afford not to prepare. You must prepare and be available. When you are prepared, there are endless, possibilities that you can create for yourself. If you feel there is not enough opportunity knocking, ask at your door, you must ask yourself are you preparing for it, as much as you are talking about it.

Life presents us with a limited window of opportunities. Sometimes these are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. These windows may never open for us again. When these windows swing open, you must be prepared and ready at that moment. If you are not prepared, then you must bite the bullet and understand that only you are to blame. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you are not prepared, that talent that you have is not enough.

Don’t let you biggest regrets come from not being ready when the window of opportunity opens for you. There is nothing worse than the feeling of your dreams being close enough to touch and then slipping through your fingertips, never to return.

Remember this, preparation makes all the difference and will set you apart from the people just going through the motions. True champions do more than the others. They understand that they cannot simply fake it ‘til they make it. They don’t gamble on their skill level or talents. They combine it all, with painstaking preparation. Prepare for the next step, the next goal, the next big moment when it arises, because you never know when it will come. – It’s Just a Thought – Paul Steven Smith (Uncle Paul)

Tweetable Moment: “We must not let the lack of preparation keep us from reaching our full potential. If you do, the only person you can blame is yourself.” – It’s Just a Thought – Paul Steven Smith (Uncle Paul)