Friday, January 9, 2009

Keys to Success: Boy Scout It

This is the second in my ten part Keys of Success series. Every Monday we’ll feature another key.

The Boy Scout motto is simple: Be Prepared. It’s been said that success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. Another way to look at is opportunity minus preparation equals regret.

Any overnight success will tell you that success happened over many nights. What makes success appear overnight is the fact that when that big opportunity came knocking, it was met with preparation. The basketball player had spent the time on the court, making the jump shots, the foul shots and shooting the three pointers, so that when the scout showed up, he was ready. The surgeon had mastered the procedure, so when that time came, she walked into the operating room with the confidence.

When you see your personal success, what do you see? What kind of preparations do you need to make right now? Does your success require public speaking skills? Join Toastmasters. Does your success mean that you have to acquire certain certifications? Start cracking the books. Sign up for a test preparation course.

Anticipate your needs and start preparing now. Procrastination is the enemy of preparation! Consider this. Would you be ready if opportunity knocked tomorrow? Or next week? Or next month? If the answer is “No,” then you’ve got your work cut out for you.

Don’t delay, start today.

How will you start preparing for your success?

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