Following on from last week’s Sunday’s Inspiration comes another quote today. This one is also from my university days and like “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”, this quote stuck with me for about 10 years now. The difference is, I trust and believe in this quote. I really do.
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail”
Sunday’s Inspiration: “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail”
Think of the time you turned up at a country’s border without a visa. Or the time you were late for a job interview because you didn’t read the map properly. Or the time you were stranded in the middle of China because you didn’t check the bus timetable. Or the time you shit your pants in Indonesia because you forgot to carry toilet roll with you. Even a little bit of preparation can help you on your way. All it takes is a bit of research.
A little bit of preparation goes a long way in life. You won’t fail. Be prepared.
While studying Public Relations at Bournemouth University in England, this is probably the one quote which stuck with me and that I stand by. It was about 10 years ago today that course leader Kathy Cutts told us this one. Thanks, Kathy. I wrote it down and I remembered it. I thought it was profound and important. I had a few close friends on the course, best friend on the course (and flatmate for a while too) was Clare Tweedy. We were always quite well prepared for things, so that even if we did fail, the reason for our failure was never lack of preparation. And it never has been for me…to the best of my intentions of course (yes I’ve had a few mishaps as you may have read).
With my flatmates in 2005 in Bournemouth including Clare Tweedy who studied with me.
The one problem with the quote is that when life gets too busy you don’t always have the time to prepare, and while I know a few ways to save time on the road, the truth is this is a busy lifestyle I’ve been living for the last decade. So it’s now a case of a bit of minimum preparation to minimise the risk of failure.
Standing in North Korea. Be prepared!
I’m actually in Pyongyang right now about to hop on a bus, this could possibly be the least prepared I’ve been in years for anything.
I’m determined not to fail. I don’t recommend it folks. If I can live by the quote and see the world, I hope it rubs off on you!