Preparation Is The Foundational Controllable.
While it won't guarantee success, repeatable success is impossible without it.
“Preparation can’t always guarantee positive outcomes, but it is a non-negotiable if you want a chance at any resemblance of repeatable success.
Most people aren’t incapable.
They’re lazy & scattered because they’re unprepared.
Preparation is the foundational controllable.”
-Ray Zingler on X
“I’ve just always had bad luck.”
“You just don’t understand my past.”
“I’ve just never really been good at anything.”
Excuse Fcking City.
Very few people are truly incapable.
They’re just abysmally, irresponsibly, unprepared.
Most people’s failures rarely have anything to do with ability and often have everything to do with a lack of preparation.
And while preparation doesn’t guarantee success, it’s required to give you a chance.
Preparation is a lot of things, but most importantly it is the flagship quality of confidence.
It’s responsible for quieting the noise and removing chaos.
It also serves as the foundation of execution.
Preparation creates stability in a world full of unpredictable circumstances.
And pick your avenue.
The sentiment is true from the workplace to sports, to relationships.
Have a meeting with an important client next Tuesday?
The quality of it hinges, sure, on your ability to communicate, but more importantly how prepared you are for the meeting. He’ll know whether or not you did your homework.
You really want to excel in baseball next season? Are you taking pride in committing to extensive physical preparation beyond hitting and fielding lessons? You can’t reach your potential without attacking the lowest hanging fruit.
How about that girlfriend you want back? Are you learning from past mistakes and preparing yourself to avoid your prior pitfalls?
People skimp on preparation because it’s an investment that doesn’t yield an immediate return.
It’s boring.
It feels optional (until it’s obvious you know you need it).
It requires discipline.
It won’t get you a whole bunch of likes and shares on social.
And many people also feel as if they can bullshit their way around it.
(If you need proof of this, check out my industry, where the vast majority are unprepared, unqualified phonies.)
If you’re “down on your luck” it’s usually your fault.
And what you need to do is “create your luck”.
And you did this by taking pride in the foundational controllable that is preparation.
Without preparation everything down the chain has great potential of going awry.
Stack the cards in your favor.
Treat preparation for the “main thing” like it is the “main thing”.
The reason you should is because it is.