Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.

-Alexander Graham Bell
 
I reflected upon this quote and remembered when I first learned the importance of preparation. At one point or another, I feel that all of us have experienced something similar growing up.
 
Ready to play?
 
“Sounds good! I’ll head over now. Don’t start without me!” I slammed the telephone on its holster as I eagerly ran downstairs and laced up my basketball shoes.
 
It was the first day of my Christmas break and a well deserved vacation after finishing my first semester at Chaparral Middle School. My friends were playing basketball at the park in my neighborhood and I didn’t want to miss a second of it. Already halfway out the door, however, I was stopped by the piercing sound of my mom’s voice. “Get back here right now! Do you know how cold it is? Where is your jacket?”
 
“Who cares! I’m playing basketball!” I shouted back. Before I could take off, she met me at the door with my jacket in hand. Annoyed, I grabbed my jacket and barely managed to get out a “Thanks Mom.”
 
As I walked to the park, I remember being so flustered thinking about what had just happened. Why do I have to listen to her anyway? I can’t even shoot well in a jacket. I have to carry it everywhere. It’s not even that cold! However, my anger quickly faded when I came to the park and every single one of my friends had a sweater or jacket on. Walking home from the park later that evening, I felt humbled knowing that I’d be freezing if I didn’t have my jacket on.
 
10 Years Later
 
Now that I’m 21, my parents don’t stop me every time I head out the door. Nonetheless, every time I’m about to leave home a cold winter day, my mom’s voice still rings in my head as I take the extra time to grab something to keep me warm. That afternoon, I learned something valuable from my parents: To always consider my future environment, and to prepare myself to be successful in that environment.
 
Preparation is a key to success in virtually every endeavor. Farmers work tirelessly to ready their fields for the harvest season. Actors rehearse their lines for weeks just for their two hours on stage. And in the United states, 34 million people each year make the decision to attend college after high school to prepare for their future careers.
 
Despite its importance, why are so many people unprepared? An important component in effective preparation is balance. Successful people can effectively balance what they want to do in the present and what they need to do for their future. This is no easy task-often, what feels right in the present is absolutely wrong in the future and it takes exceptional judgment and strength to consistently pick correctly. To be prepared for the future, you will often need to make sacrifices in the present.
 
The Next 10 Years
 
However, the rewards of doing so are tremendous. By taking steps to control your future situations, you are paving the road ahead for success. Rather than have your present and future desires clash, you can learn to make those desires work in harmony and create a lifestyle that is driven by preparation and progress.
 
I hope that through this post, you find that preparation is not only necessary but fulfilling as well. Whether or not we ever get the payout that we desire, it enough to know that we’re doing what is right and have something valuable to work towards. That encouraging thought is what fuels me to give everything I have for Marksmen Academy.
 
Thank you for reading through this blogpost and for all the help and support we’ve received in the last week. Our success will be yours as well.
 
All the best,
 
Anthony
 
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