“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
” Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” – Seneca
Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter. He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees. The Boss was very much impressed and said, “Congratulations, Go on that way!”. Very motivated by the words of the boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing down less and fewer trees. “I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought to himself. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going wrong. “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.” the woodcutter replied. The boss said, “You have to take time to sharpen your axe for consistency.”
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to sharpen the axe. A great quote, isn’t it? but it’s the opposite of what many people do. When they have a project to work on, many people just work on it directly with little or no preparation. To the contrary, smart people prepare things well in advance and that way they outperform those with little or no preparation. They accomplish the job in less time and with less stress. That’s what I call working smart.
Preparation is essential to work smart.
Initially, it may seem like a waste of time. But preparation can make the difference between being productive and just being tired.
Preparation helps you find if something is worth doing.
Instead of working on wrong project, it’s wise to check first if something is worth doing. Is it the best use of your time and resources? Spend time to find out whether or not the project is feasible. The time saved from not doing the wrong project far outweighs the time spent to research it.
Preparation helps you find the most efficient way to do things.
Once you decide that a project is worth doing, the next step is finding the most efficient way to do it. If you don’t prepare for the project, you adopt the first method you can think of or the one you are familiar with. But chances are that other methods may save your time and efforts. Do some research to find them. One good way is by watching how the best people in your field work. Find several models and observe the advantages and disadvantages of their methods. Then combine the best methods to create something that suits your project, style and situation.
Preparation makes you ready when opportunity comes.
When there is no project, you should keep building your skills and knowledge. Keep learning, keep growing, and open your eyes. By this you can see opportunity and can grab it.
Caution:
There is a danger though: you could be over-prepared.
Over preparation may result into delay in taking action. Or it may become a reason for not taking action. Hence do only the preparation that significantly contributes to your project and your personal growth. Prepare well but don’t over-prepare.