Each of us has the ability for success and a prepared mind is the catalyst!

Last week we introduced the concept of the prepared mind. Each of us has the ability to be successful and having a prepared mind is the catalyst in acting on your plan. Action on our part is what separates being successful from unsuccessful. The Law of Diminishing Intent, a term coined by late motivational speaker Jim Rohn as we learned last week, means that we intend to act when our emotions are at their highest, but if we delay and don't act on our plan in a timely manner, the intention starts to diminish. 

To help you overcome the law of diminishing intent, we're going to explore the benefits of being prepared and the skills you can perfect from it, as well as outline a guide to training your mind. But first let's review the beginning of this topic where we distinguished between having a prepared mind from your mindset. Again, mindset is a set of beliefs or attitudes that builds the foundation for how you think. And it forms the behaviors for how you act. This is important because having a growth mindset accentuates the benefits and sharpens the skills of having a prepared mind. 

There can be numerous benefits of having a prepared mind, such as how you approach most things in life, strengthened resolve to deal with life's problems and your ability to concentrate in difficult situations. Let's focus on four additional benefits that are derived from having a prepared mind.

1. Reduces emergencies - when you have a prepared mind and have contemplated all possible scenarios to any given situation, your likelihood of experiencing an emergency is greatly reduced. 
2. Immunity to pressure - a prepared mind reduces stress levels when dealing with most situations. You can feel less stressed because you know you are prepared to compensate for any obstacles. 
3. Contingency Ready - a prepared mind is always ready for plan B when plan A goes awry. You may have heard the story about the fisherman that caught a large prize fish. Too large to fit in his boat, he had to tie it to the side of the boat and drag it along in the water back to shore. By the time he reached the shore, sharks had picked apart his prize catch. The same can be true in our daily lives. Our successes can be picked apart by the competition, however, the prepared mind has a contingency plan for every possible disaster. In other words, a contingency plan is shark proofing!
4.  Enhanced problem solving - the prepared mind develops your ability to become better at problem solving. In fact, it is a by-product of having a prepared mind. 

In addition to the benefits of the prepared mind, it can sharpen your skills around self-discipline, strategic thinking, resilience, and adaptability. As you continue to develop your prepared mind, you will find yourself more disciplined in your actions, and you ability to plan will be enhanced because you will take a strategic approach to planning. We know that there will always be disruptions in our routines and developing a prepared mind makes you more resilient in tough times. And the more developed your prepared mind is the more adaptable your actions become. With a prepared mind, you are not concerned about facing disruptions because you are adaptable and can manage any situation because you are prepared. 

In putting this all together, how do we train our mind to achieve the prepared mind status? We have differentiated between the prepared mind and mindset. We've discovered the steps to prepare your mind for success. And we realize what the possible benefits are and the skills we can sharpen with having a prepared mind. What does a guide to training your mind look like? Here's some examples of ways you can begin to train your thought processes and prepare your mind for success:

1.  Understanding the lessons to be learned - when it comes to learning, do you know the difference between school and life? In school you are taught a lesson and then given a test. In life you are given a test that teaches you a lesson. The key to training your mind is to learn from all the tests you have faced in life. 
2.  Positive outlook - the attitude you bring to your day is what the day will bring to you. Great attitude, great day!
3.  Student of failure - you've probably hear the phrase "being a student of the game". It's more than just preparing, it's about going beyond your limits, studying, and learning from the action on the field. The same can be said for being a student of failure. It's about evaluating your performance. You must sharpen your mental skills when you experience failure and find ways to improve from the experience, regardless of how small the steps of improvement are.
4.  Practice mindfulness - this practice helps you clear your mind and recenter your thoughts. Start by staying in the present moment, avoid trying to balance numerous things at once. Don't over analyze the situation, thus controlling your stress level. Trusting in something bigger than yourself will help you focus on your tasks at hand. Another way to help you focus on preparing your mind is to find a peaceful place that comforts you and allows you to relax and enjoy the moment.
5.  Noise reduction - as an extension of practicing mindfulness, it's important to filter out the noise of your world. This would include silencing your phone during this time. You should also avoid social media, TV, and headbanging loud music.
6.  Charge the batteries - in practicing mindfulness, we mentioned finding a peaceful place of comfort. Another source to help recharge your energy to prepare your mind is to get outside and enjoy the sunshine of the day. Also important is getting adequate sleep.
7.  Brain muscles training - in moderation, this is a great way to prepare your mind by playing mind challenging games or devoting time to motivational or focused learning by reading books. 

Understanding what it means to have a prepared mind, the benefits of it, and how to train your mind to be prepared will ultimately prepare you for success. When you are prepared you can anticipate the disruptions of life and have a plan to compensate for the things that you cannot control.  Remember this, you will still have disruptions. You will have hard times. Failure may temporarily derail your quest. But know that the lessons you learn from these challenges will one day become  your strengths. You'll be blessed with unbelievable awareness of circumstances and opportunities. If you are not prepared, know that opportunity does not waste time on those who are unprepared!

Be inspired! Inspire others!