Do you ever have anxiety over the success of a business project, meeting or goal? Because you are human, I am guessing your answer is undoubtedly yes. And although I am much better today at managing this type of anxiety than in years past, I must admit that I still do have a few sleepless nights from time to time.
Throughout the course of my career, what I found is that my anxiety level seems to be directly related to how well I prepared for the business initiative at hand, whatever it may be. When I haven’t fully prepared, I am never satisfied with the outcome or finished product, (even if it was successful), because I just can’t let go of that nagging feeling that it could have been better or that I could have left a better impression.
What I also have found throughout my career is that when in business for yourself, on some level, you must always be prepared. That is not to say that extra preparation isn’t required (and expected) for special projects or new initiatives, but you should always be prepared to answer questions about your industry and specialty, especially if changes or advancements have recently taken place. If you want to be recognized as an industry expert, you must be prepared to speak to it on the spur of the moment.
I know for me, most (if not all) of my business growth can be attributed to opportunities that arose as a result (direct or indirect) of being prepared – - no two ways about it.
