Joe here - exceptional results depend on exceptional preparation.
I'm often made fun of because of my attention to detail.
I admit it. The word - meticulous - suits me.
I'll give you a quick example.
Tyres. I can talk about tyres for hours, it's a great subject!
But as soon as I mention it, eyes roll and I get the very distinct impression of 'enough already!'
But consider this, my tyre is the only connection I have to the road and it's a mere few millimetres wide.
I have to push that tyre 3000+ miles in Race Across America 2019 so how it rolls on the road is important. And yes, tyres roll differently depending on the quality of the construction, the type of material used, the pressure the tyre is run at, the outside environment and the road surface. It's a complex interaction that can either be to your advantage or against you.
And that tyre has to be able to deal with constant impact over multiple road surfaces with varying kinds of debris over thousands upon thousands of miles.
Ask me how many punctures I've had in an endurance race?
ZERO.
That's right, zero!
Why? Because I'm meticulous. I've made it my business to understand the relationship between the road and that critical few millimetres of very particular rubber that meets the road, that carries me forward, every second of the race.
My 2019 Race Across America tyres have been curing in my linen cupboard since Oct 2018.
My point is not really about tyres, it's this - to prepare for exceptional is to truly understand that every detail, in every role on the team, impacts the quality of 'forward'.
So, if you really care about something, whatever that something is. Be meticulous. Surround yourself with people who are also meticulous.
It's where exceptional comes from.
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