Time and time again I see people that spend more time complaining about their situation they are in. Whether it be exam results, aiming for a job trying to get in a sports team. I've visited and spoken with several schools in the last month, and I've said the same thing to all of them you learn during the process and when it comes to the crunch you bring with you the preparation you've done.
I see this happening so much in sport. At club level, anyone people have a huge change of perspective a few months out from the annual major competition. It's to little to late. The person that has prepared mentally from the start of the season and continued that process all the way through is going to be the most consistent and more likely to deliver results.
"Preparation is key."
The same can be said for exams or anything for that matter. I remember being at school and having no drive whatsoever to work hard for my exams. Not because I was academically gifted with a photographic memory, I just couldn't be bothered. Fast forward 15 years and there's a very different approach. If you're hoping you can do a last minute cram for anything and wing it, good luck because that's all you're relying on. You won't get as far down the path as others.
The harder you work the luckier you get. I see people with a capacity to achieve all the time but because that have poor preparation skills and do not apply themselves they fall short. Sometimes this is a hard lesson learnt; it's a very hard lesson if it knocks your education down a few steps where you where capable of.
Simple things that work.
It's about applying a little bit every day, and all those pieces add up. Imagine running a marathon, and you only decide to train properly two months before. The result is going to be sub power. Athletes would spend 20-30 hours a week every week for four years for the opportunity to deliver their best at an Olympic games. That's all PREPARATION. It's also not just doing time, it's the quality that you produce during that time and the processes you learn.
So in a nutshell.
1. Preparation is key.
2. Start far away and then build it up
3. Build the base, not just the peak.
4. You learn invaluable amounts during the process; this is tapped into more when under pressure.