“You hit home runs not by chance, but by preparation.”
— Roger Maris

Many people want to win, but how many are willing to do the grunt work to build a solid foundation? Everyone wants to score a touchdown, but how many are willing to hit the weights every day? Spend grueling hours on the practice field? Memorize the playbook? Watch films of defensive backs to learn their moves, tells, and tendencies? Every week for every game?

…the will to prepare is vital.

I love business. Particularly, I love real estate, specifically apartments. I’m good at what I do. In part, it is due to native intelligence and a natural talent, but that will only take you so far.

Much of my success is because I prepare relentlessly. I read voraciously, I study, I reach out, I ask questions. I most certainly do not rest on my laurels. I never, ever slacken in my preparation. I take great pride in being a life-long learner.

Too many people stop learning after school, figuring that is all there is. They just kick their brains into neutral for the rest of their lives. This amazes me. Others think that learning only happens in a classroom or at a conference or other structured context.

Being self-taught seems to have fallen out of vogue, but it can be a lot of fun and is both economical and effective.

Want to succeed beyond the ordinary? Prepare well beyond the norm. The well-prepared make winning look easy.

This is a classic from the NSC Blog archive, originally posted April 1, 2008.