90% preparation 10% execution

This month’s title sums up so much for me. This was a philosophy I adapted in my managing days. In addition as I reflected I realized this was also a spiritual and life philosophy as well. To begin I want to focus on what spurred this thought this past weekend.

As we closed out our market this past weekend, my wife was surprised we did a record 3rd week in a row. She said it didn’t feel like it was as busy as the week before, and everyone else said they were a little slow. I then pointed out to her, all the extra steps I took this week to further prepare beyond my normal market routine. Once I put it into perspective, she then understood why things went so smooth, and yet we exceeded the previous chaotic week of trying to keep our heads above water. This is life too, if we are constantly preparing and practicing making the right decisions, in the most critical moments of life, we will respond with the right choices. This is to an extent of what religion can do when properly practiced. This is what business can be like, when properly practiced. In the end, we have to make a choice, are we honest with ourselves to fix what is wrong, or neglect it, until it creates chaos making things seem harder than they are.

As I reflected on many things I learned when I was younger, I now see and understand how studies prepared me to make better decisions and choices. At first I neglected a lot of this, and took it for granted, but now I see things in a better picture and how it formed the successful person I am becoming. This was all preparation for the right time. This is life, and as Jesus would say, it’s preparing for the thief in the night.

You never know when opportunity good or bad will strike. This current market I am doing records at is a perfect example. I found it, through going to a market, I originally said no to, then I was put next to a family farm, that I wasn’t supposed to be next to. They decided to leave me next to them. We became friends and they enjoyed what I did. They then suggested I attend their Saturday market since they didn’t have coffee, and now I’m doing numbers I never even planned or thought of, exceeding expectations. This was all planning/preparation though, and developing the concept over the past 1.5 years. I made sure to thoroughly develop my product before I sold it, knowing I would already have a learning curve adjusting my operations. The last thing I want is to adjust my product too and start off with a bad reputation.

This brings me back to the word of the day. Practice, as Allen Iverson once said 16.5 times in the matter of minutes. He was angry that they criticized him for missing practice, which was for him to prepare for a game. In the end he never won the big games and the championship, because while he may have thought he was great by himself, in his profession he had to be fluid with his teammates. When you don’t practice, you leave yourself open to mistakes, which will cost you when it counts. The one time he made it to the finals, he was swept and never saw another chance at a championship since.

This is life, when we don’t practice our faith, we leave ourselves open to missing a great opportunity. I have found in the past year all things are settling into place perfectly. As I have been preparing for the previous 9 years. I’ve had lots of failures, but I learned from them, and as I prepared each time laying new foundation, I made sure to fill in the gaps where I made mistakes. My biggest focus always though, is always be prepared mentally. In doing so you will have a more clear mind when it comes to crunch time. At times I like to sit in silence and contemplate to get the busyness of thoughts out of my head, so I can focus on the rest of my week after. Again a form of preparation, so I can be focused in my work and execution of my weekly plan and budgets.

In close I want to encourage you to make a plan, even a simple one with a simple goal. In doing so, allow life and God to lead the way. In a brief summary, back in Oct 2016 when I began discerning a religious community and vocation I also began to rebuild my credit as I’ve shared before. I wanted to have a mild back up plan if things didn’t work out or go according to “my plan” or “my way”. Nearly 4 years now that plan is paying off. It was the good credit I had, that became the foundation of using 0% credit cards instead of a bank loan to build my business. It was have a vision, and strong foundation, that my wife saw potential in a relationship with me.

I previously at times struggled to have confidence I would compliment her well in our relationship, since her career is far more advanced than my own, in addition I was too free spirited for her disciplined life. Then again, I’m not designed for a corporate life, which I see in the the country areas of our world, many of us are not, which is why we then seek to blaze our own trail. I’m meeting a lot of immigrants who live in the country, some with their own farms, own business’ sharing their inspirational lives they found in these settings. It wasn’t over night these dreams were achieved though, it was through some suffering which moved them to this great country, where they are experiencing the joys of life through hard work and sacrifice. One of my new friends had actual real Nazi’s in their home, which led them to flee to our country, thus why they all the more appreciate our land, they’ve seen the real thing.

May God continue to bless us and our land. Most of all may your conscience be illuminated to your destined path. God’s Will is omnipotent and never changing. He has a unique plan for you, sadly we just do our own thing, which delays that plan, and causes great suffering in the meantime. When we are ready for it, He’s waiting and ready to fulfill the promise of a New Life in Him. I’m living proof as many of us American’s are. You just have to say yes to the American Dream and Way, instead of trying to change it to these modern Marxist, Socialist perversions. There’s only one thing that’s free in life, God’s grace, and even that takes a yes and some effort. Everything good, comes with effort which leads to appreciation of our effort. Anything less is squandered and wasted leading to an unfulfilling life. This is our current struggle, we need to find purpose and meaning. No matter what you do, do it to better those around you selflessly.

I’d like to add, the following week, I asked a former co worker to help out and give my pregnant wife a break since she’s already working her main job a lot and is nearing the due date, which means I need to figure something out regardless. My co worker didn’t show up, and I did the normal sales I do. With further improved preparation I realized I can continue to do this by myself, and I have lots of room to grow in sales despite the lack of help and need for employees. Again I prepared and designed things for this very reason. Then I will be a directly responsible for my success or failure on a larger scale, while keeping my overhead low.

Below is a church event in Thahn Hoa, Vietnam. Along with my front cover, moments like this are a reminder of moments that great preparation, allows for handling large volumes and numbers of people. This is the difference between average #’s and breaking even, eventually failing or exceeding expectations and growth in #’s that will lead to the success you seek.