A phrase I have heard a number of times and personally growing to understand more and more is “success occurs when preparation meets opportunity” by Zig Ziglar. In other words, it is commonly said that when preparation meets opportunity success is inevitable. One of the words that stands out in this phrase is preparation which the Webster dictionary defines as “the action or process of making something ready for use or service or of getting ready for some occasion, test, or duty”. This makes me wonder about what preparation look like for each individual and do we know that our preparation is going to be adequate for future opportunities.

Firstly, the act or process of preparation will look different for various aspirations and goals. Nevertheless, by being proactively prepared you can focus your time and energy on things that are within your control. And being proactive is about you taking responsibility for your life. Also, being prepared does not mean everything has to be perfect or that you have dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's, so to speak. You don’t have to take care of all the minute details of your life but just do efficiently and effectively what is within your control to do. For instance, if your goal is to run a 5k marathon in 6months time then it is within your control to set an exercise schedule and keep to it to get you fit and ready. What is not within your control is the weather you wake up to each day you go out for your exercise and daily run. However, come rain or shine, it is within your control to keep to your preparation routine so you can succeed in the 5k marathon.

Secondly, adequate preparation is important to secure the success when the opportunity is presented. Therefore, you need to consider if you are preparing at the right level for a possible opportunity you hope to go for when it comes. Is your preparation going to provide you with what you need? for example, the skills, experiences, mental and emotional resilience as well as meeting other relevant criteria at the right level to go for the opportunity.

Due to the focus of this piece on preparation for success this has meant mainly referring to preparing for the expected. But it is important to mention that life does also throw us curve ball and we do encounter the unexpected events which could be positive or negative. And our ability to deal with such unexpected occurrences could be help by our resilience, support network, spirituality and for those who have it, their faith.

In conclusion, the importance of preparation means not leaving things to chance when it comes to your personal growth, goals and aspirations. But to be proactive in your preparation. And preparation does not always mean you achieve thing the first time round but if you keep preparing and go for it then the possibility of hitting your target one out of ten is highly possible.