Are You Ready?

We are all familiar with the saying, “Be Prepared” as the Boy Scout motto, but as with many familiar things, we pay little attention to the meaning. To be prepared is the foundation for the success-minded person. Preparedness is what it takes to make it through the twists and turns of business or life in general. If we are not prepared for what will come our way, we will be caught in the trap of spending far too much time and energy on things. Believe me, the problems of life will come your way.

So how do you become prepared? What do you need to know? First and foremost, you have to be willing to learn. By having a teachable spirit that is willing to listen, learn, and follow directions from others, you can be ready for almost anything. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Ask more questions than you answer, and deliberately learn something new every day. For the success-minded person, life is a classroom, and the potential for learning is endless.

“To each, there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitting their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”

Sir Winston Churchill

1874-1965

Former British Prime Minister

You also need to know and understand your strengths. I suggest that you do a DISC assessment if you have not already done one. This will show your behavioral style and help you understand why you do what you do and how you best communicate with the world around you. DISC is a valuable tool that can help you see where you are healthy and where you are not.

Success-minded people understand their strengths, work on them, building them up, and staying within them. They do not focus on their weaknesses. We are often mistakenly told to find our weakness and make it strong. That is wrong thinking. Weaknesses make us weak; it is strengths that make us strong. The success-minded person would instead put their time and energy into going from good to great rather than from bad to okay.

Take the things you learn and put them into practice. Spend time thinking of how to handle situations that you may come across. Be ready for anything. The more prepared you are, the more confidence you will feel, and the more value you will provide to all around you.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort,

 with great patience and instruction.”

2 Timothy 4:2

You can learn more about Personal Development from author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   

© 2020 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this may be reprinted or published without the permission of the author.