If you are like me, this is certainly one of your favorite seasons of the year and the particular season to which I refer has little to do with the weather. On the other hand this season has everything to do with school colors, fight songs, tailgating, game-day attire, and how we structure and schedule our Saturday afternoons and evenings.

The 2022 College Football Season is rapidly unfolding and for weekend warriors and armchair quarterbacks everywhere it is likely a weekly ritual of planning and preparation for their “big game”. In addition to routine game-day preparations they are probably monitoring their favorite team’s progress by reviewing previous game statistics, current injury updates, and listening to numerous sports media reports in an effort to gauge their team’s chances for success in the upcoming contest. As they carefully listen to their favorite coaches and players discuss the big game they will probably hear numerous sound bites pertaining to planning and preparation with very little reference to luck or happenstance. There will, no doubt, be a strong emphasis on a planned and deliberate process.

In athletics, business, the professions, and in life we all desire to be winners and winning does not generally occur in the absence of planning and preparation. Consider the following perspectives from some very notable and respected sources:

“It’s not the will that matters-everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win.”—Paul William “Bear” Bryant

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary”—Vince Lombardi

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”—Seneca

“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Clearly, there are individuals and organizations that believe success is little more than luck and happenstance or simply being in the right place at the right time. We have probably all encountered them and unfortunately, more times than not, watched them experience failure. In contrast, it has been said that success loves preparation and they walk together hand in hand. It has also been said that it is better to be prepared and not have an opportunity than to have an opportunity and not be prepared. In other words over preparation will trump no preparation every time!

Planning and preparation are also critical to overcoming potential challenges to the success of an organization. These processes facilitate the development of “what if” scenarios affording the leadership and their respective teams the opportunity to critically evaluate potential conditions and subsequently develop appropriate contingency plans if needed. No problem desiring and hoping for the best, but it is always wise to anticipate and be prepared for the worst.

Keep in mind; winning success does not happen in the absence of appropriate preparation. It is a conscious choice and part of a planned and deliberate process.