Self-preparation is a discipline that has two benefits. The first is that it moves you towards your goal. You’ve already got it in your mind. You know where you want to go. You’re getting already for it. You’re doing all the things you’re supposed to do. By getting ready to achieve your goals, you’re moving closer to them.
The second major benefit to self-preparation is that it refuels your mission. The things that you are doing today are getting you ready for tomorrow. It’s exciting. You know that you’re getting closer every day. Your ambition must be kept alive. It must continue to move forward–otherwise, you’re just daydreaming. You must keep active and keep moving forward so your ambition can fuel you and motivate you to reach where you want to be.
This method of self-preparation involves three steps. Step one: carefully consider where the next opportunity for reaching your goal will originate. Where will it come from? Will it come from networking with your colleagues? Will it come from reading the last book that you bought–the book that’s still sitting on your shelf waiting to give you some answers? Carefully consider the next opportunity that will push you forward toward your goal.
If you don’t know where the next opportunity will originate, here’s what you have to do. For each of your major goals, take out a separate piece of paper. Write down your goal at the top, and start listing all reasonable resources. Write down every possible place where you could find the opportunity to achieve this goal. Then classify each resource. Ask yourself, “Is this resource a sure thing? A good bet? Or is it unlikely? A long shot?” Ask yourself these questions, and classify all of the resources you have written down. That’s the first step.
The second step in this method of self-preparation is to make sure you know what you need to do to be prepared for your opportunities. Take your “sure things” first. Figure out what you need to do to be prepared when they happen. Break down your preparation into concrete steps. Make sure that you know exactly what you have to do to take advantage of the opportunity when it comes your way.
Let’s say that one of the top priorities on your career list of goals is to get a particular new client. Let’s take it one step further and say that on your resource list for this goal, you’d like to have a lunch meeting with a friend who just happens to be the mentor of the client you’re going after. Is this friend of yours a “sure bet” on your resource list? Suppose he is. You know this guy is a tremendous consulting source for the client you want, and the client you want really listens to the opinions and advice of your friend.
So you’re getting ready to have lunch with your friend. What do you do? You’ve got to make sure that you’re well-informed about all the information and industry statistics that will impress your friend. You want to make him realize that he knows someone who could benefit from your knowledge, vitality, spirit, and experience. Impress him so much that he goes back to his friend, the client you’re after, and tells this prospective client of yours that he needs to do business with you.
In order to make this particular scenario a reality, go through your entire list of goals and resources and classify them. Break each resource into concrete steps of preparation. Start by working on the “sure bets” first, and then move down the line. The “long shots” will come through every so often. But start with the resources that will serve you best now. Get ready for the opportunities before they come your way.
Step three in the self-preparation method is to do all you can to make each opportunity more likely to happen. After you’ve determined what you have to do to get ready, see what you can do to expedite the process. What can you do to increase the likelihood of this opportunity taking place?
Go over your notes again and again. Continually use these three methods as you assess where you are now and where you need to go next to keep moving toward the achievements that are most important to you.
By the way, this method of self-preparation works wherever you are in your journey. Whether you’re close to your goals or you’re just starting your journey, this method works.
Have a base of knowledge to draw from. Build a reservoir of thoughts, ideas, philosophies, and experiences that are your own. Get ready to grow and change. And be prepared for a life worth living.
* Source: Leading an Inspired Life by Jim Rohn