Life has a way of coming at us quickly. Our day-to-day experience often feels routine, even boring at times…until it isn’t. Last February, our world was on cruise control. Then, in a matter of days – many of the things we take for granted in life were flipped upside down. We were introduced to lockdowns and quarantines and had to find new ways to communicate and connect.
The unexpected outcomes kept coming this year. Rather than a total meltdown of our economy and financial markets (the rational expectation), we have instead seen the quickest expansion in stock and asset prices on the historical record. Demand for homes and cars and just about anything that fits on a cargo ship have skyrocketed – with no end in sight.
The lesson from this? We must be prepared for whatever life throws at us, because none of us know what tomorrow holds.
“You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.” This quote is attributed to NFL quarterback Case Keenum in a recent post-game interview. Although he had not started a game in nearly 3 years, a few weeks ago, he was called off the bench when the team’s franchise QB was injured and unavailable to play. Keenum’s response? An awesome outing where he threw for 200 yards, a touchdown, no turnovers, and most importantly – a win for his team.
His point is that the great performance was not due to a massive surge of effort or a lucky break. He didn’t need to ‘cram’ his preparations the night before. Instead, he sees his job as being prepared, and therefore his performance is to be expected.
And in our industry – preparation starts with having the right partners on board to support your business. This means dynamic partners and suppliers that put a priority on being flexible and creating options for you when the unexpected hits.
As we enter this last month of the year, we encourage all of our active and prospective customers to use this time to get prepared. Does your team have its primary distributor AND a trusted secondary that knows your business and can step in like Mr. Keenum above? When issues in the supply chain cause a delay to your project (or a pricing issue, etc) – does your team scramble to find a new option? Or is it a calm motion to simply call up another proven and integrated supplier?
Life has its twists and turns. Obstacles will present themselves. Plans will be thrown off course. But we can be ready. This is what we prepare for.
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail,” was one of John Wooden’s favorite maxims. Link
The mistake many smart people make has to do with the difference between being in motion and taking action. They sound similar, but they’re not the same. Link
Steve Jobs approached keynote presentations as an actor in a theatrical production. You should, too. Link