The Importance of Being Ready

Are you ready for this?

When you are said to be "ready" you are in the right state for an action or situation. You're fully prepared.

What happens when you are not ready, when you are unprepared?

It can affect our performance, and those we work with, when we then have to act.

At the weekend I saw the new Man United striker Edison Cavani about to come on to the pitch as substitute. There was a long delay as he discovered that he needed some boots with longer studs because the grass was so wet. Someone had to sprint to the changing room to get them.

His manager Ole Solskjaer said in a post-match interview, "I know more than anyone, as a sub you’ve always got to be ready."

I recall what Prince used to say to his backing band back in the 80s. "Always be concert ready. Always be ready for a show".

The band would turn up for rehearsals in their slobs, so he would send them away to get their stage outfits on.

He said by feeling fully ready, you'll perform better. Plus you never know when there might be a camera on you.

David Allen wrote a productivity book based on building a whole life philosophy around being ready. Aptly titled "Ready for Anything"

He explains that being ready is a mindset. You have to create the mental space to enable yourself to be ready. He uses the phrase Mind Like Water. (Like Bruce Lee with his “Body like Water’.) Your mind needs to keep coming back to that "still" state. You are then ready for whatever situation comes your way, or ready to choose the best task to do next.

Are you ready?