Key secrets to preparation in the kitchen apply to other areas of life too. As I was prepping my ingredients for a chili recipe the other day I started thinking about all of the preparation involved. It’s was a more detailed recipe than I would normally choose but I had the ingredients and the time so I happily forged on. I really do enjoy making my way around the kitchen and I have a very similar passion for my business.
Start with the end in mind.
When you get that first taste of whatever it is you are cooking up it’s so rewarding to enjoy the fruit of your labor. Business is very much the same way. Start with the end in mind just as you would when cooking. Following the recipe produces the end result. It’s difficult to get where you are going when you don’t know how to get there. I once worked in a travel call center and I knew I had to take at least 100 calls per day in order to make my bonus. Armed with that knowledge and having been gratified with the result made it easier to do the work required. Figure out where you want to go in your business and create a plan with realistic steps to get to your end result. <—Tweet This!
Don’t take shortcuts.
There is an order to everything. Take the progressive steps required to get to the end result. This requires careful measurements in ingredients as well as time. Don’t fall into the false sense of security that leads too much of one thing or too little of another. Stick to the balancing method of the recipe.
“When it comes to success, there are no shortcuts.”
Bo Bennett, American Businessman
Preparation is half the battle.
While the cutting, dicing and slicing in preparation to make the chili took some time, once that part was done, it was all a matter of putting things into the dutch oven at the proper time. The end result was a very pleasing outcome and I would definitely make it again. Business is very much the same way, there are phone calls to make, emails to send, and people to meet with and so on. Once those parts are done you can see the end result of what your business is purposed to do.
Truthfully, there are no real secrets to preparation, it’s a matter finding an order of doing things that works for you, your life and your business. Colin Powell said it well, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” What key secrets to preparation have worked best for you in business? Share by commenting to this post.
