Learn to Plan and Prepare to Avoid Failure

“Everyone has a will to win but very few have the will to prepare to win.” -- Vince Lombardi

In business, sports and many other human endeavors, preparation is a must otherwise all efforts will be in vain. Preparation inspires confidence and the will to succeed. Your plans point the way to the desired goal and act as a guide to attaining such goals. If your plans are good, succeeding requires less effort. If you plan big, you will achieve big. “A bad plan is better than no plan.” No pilot ever takes off in his plane without a flight plan. No General ever leads an army into battle without a battle plan. Nature and creation are all according to God’s plans. Do you know why the universe is in such perfect harmony? As the Holy Qur’an reveals, “God is the best planner” that is why. Before you embark on any venture, it is imperative to plan and prepare. Many times, I have met young people who tell me they are looking for a job. When I ask them, “what type of job are you looking for?” The most ridiculous answer I keep receiving whenever I ask this question is “any job.” There is no job called “any job” so such people usually search and never find “any” because it does not exist. If you want a job, decide firmly on what you want. Put all the plans in place to land you the job before you commence the search. Without definite plans, job hunters in most cases always hunt in vain. A directionless and drifting Ship never gets to port. Lack of adequate planning yields similar results. “Nothing great has ever been achieved without a plan.” 

Michael Jordan made his name playing basketball and has won almost every available prize anyone can win in basketball circuit. That he had a passion for the game is not in doubt. That he enjoyed playing the game is also not in doubt. What is however surprising is that he was not such a good player at the beginning. He could not make his High School team because his Coach considered him not good enough. This singular act spurred Michael to develop a bigger liking for the sport by using every spare-time he had on the courts practicing basketball. He planned, prepared and dreamed of becoming a star. He wanted to prove to his Coach that he made a mistake by dropping him from the school team. He followed his plans and moved on with passion to become a superstar making millions of dollars for himself in the process. His fame and fortune were a direct result of his meticulous planning and preparation.

Be Ready to Learn From Experience

“When obstacles arise, change your direction to reach your goal, not the decision to get there.” -- Zig Ziglar

“Experience” they say “is the best teacher.” If you make mistakes, correct them and move on. The more mistakes you make the nearer you are to the solution provided you do not do the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Keep good records and refer to them as a guide to avoid previous mistakes. As narrated by Shiv Khera in his book “You can Win”, Fritz Kreisler the great violinist was once asked how he played the violin so well. He replied that it is because of practice and experience. “If I don’t practice for a month, the audience can tell the difference. If I don’t practice for a week, my wife can tell the difference. If I don’t practice for a day, I can tell the difference.”