Why You Should Always Prepare

Summary

• People often miss out on appearing smarter by underestimating the value of 20 minutes of preparation before a business meeting or any activity.
• Deliberately avoiding practice before confronting a team or challenge in business doesn't actually offer any real benefits.
• Refraining from practicing is motivated by ego; individuals may want to seem naturally talented without much effort.
• It's more admirable to be recognized for the work and effort put in than to be seen as having a natural gift.
• Failing to prepare may result in succeeding by a narrower margin than if one had taken the time to properly prepare.
• The bottom line is that by not preparing, you don't gain anything.

Video

How To Take Action

I would suggest taking a pocket of 20 minutes to prepare before meetings or big tasks. It's like warming up before you play a sport – it gets your brain ready to go. Grab a notebook, write down what you want to achieve, and think about what might go wrong and how you could fix it. This little step can make a big difference in how smart and ready you seem.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you'll look cool by just winging it. That's your ego talking. Instead, focus on working hard and getting better. People might think you're naturally good at things, but it's really the effort you put in that counts. Remember, no one really cares if you were born talented—what they admire is how much you work to achieve your goals.

Practicing hard helps you do better. If you skip the practice, you might still win, but it won't be by much. You gain nothing by avoiding preparation. So always take that time to prep — it's a small investment that can lead to big wins. And when you do well, it'll be because you earned it, not just because you got lucky.

Here's a simple start: next time you have something important, set a timer for 20 minutes. Use that time to think through what you want to happen and what you'll do if things get tough. This will help you feel less nervous and more in control. Plus, you'll probably impress people with how well you handle everything!

Quotes by Alex Hormozi

"people underestimate how much smarter you can seem if you have 20 minutes of preparation"

– Alex Hormozi

"people get into businesses and like well what if you actually had to face this team"

– Alex Hormozi

"what do you gain from that because if you practice really hard you get better"

– Alex Hormozi

"all it is is purely an ego play"

– Alex Hormozi

"I would rather be known for my work I think than my natural gift"

– Alex Hormozi

Full Transcript

people underestimate how much smarter you can seem if you have 20 minutes of preparation people get into businesses and like well what if you actually had to face this team people were like well I don't want to practice why not what do you gain from that because if you practice really hard you get better and like all it is is purely an ego play the only win you get from not prepping and showing up to the fight is that you appear to be more naturally gifted and I would rather be known for my work I think than my natural gift as an aside but you appear to be more naturally gifted and then you win by less than you would if you prepared you gain nothing