Have you
ever noticed that people who have achieved great success never win the lottery?
There is a very simple reason for that – they never buy lottery tickets. They do not leave their success, and its spoils, to chance. Playing the lottery is taking a blind chance, hoping for the big win. And that is not something big achievers ever really do; they plan and prepare.
There is a saying “Luck is
preparedness meeting opportunity” and Jeff Olson, author of The Slight Edge
basically decries that as hogwash. He says that “luck is preparedness. Period.”
I would tend to agree with him – we make our own luck. We pave the way for
success to come marching toward us. We PREPARE
FOR SUCCESS.
How do we do that?
3 Steps to
Prepare for Success
1) First, we have to, as Stephen Covey of the The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
fame says, “Have the end in mind.” Know what the end-goal is, how it looks, and
what it feels like when we successfully attain it. It might be greater sales,
more profits, happier life, more free time, and financial freedom. Whatever it
is for you, you have to know it, see it, and feel it.
2) Next, we have to gather the tools and resources necessary to achieve
the task(s). Perhaps that means an online program to collect names on a list,
keep track of contacts and touches, or an email distribution system. AddressTwo works
if that is your need. You might need processes to systematize the touches and
communications with potential clients. You might need suppliers or
manufacturers lined up and at the ready for increased production.
3) Last, we must track our progress and measure outcomes. There has
to be a yardstick – a ruler with benchmarks – to let us know two things: that
we are staying focused, and that we are making progress toward our goal.
When a small business owner knows what he wants, puts all the pieces in place, and then measures progress,
he can’t help but find success. That may be taking a risk, believing in what he
can offer and do, but it’s not leaving it to chance and hope. There is no
lottery involved, but there is
preparedness.
To Your
Success!
Jack Klemeyer, founder
