Prepare Like a Pop Star
“(The 5 P's) Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance”
How do you beat the competition?
Prepare more than anyone else does.
You’ve already heard of the usual preparation legends: Kobe, Tom Brady, Jordan, etc.
But there’s one star you might see in a different light:
Michael Jackson
Funny enough, I met his recording engineer Brad Sundberg by accident and he told me all about MJ’s preparation — it was insane.
But that’s what you should expect from someone that sold 1 billion records.
Today almost anybody can record and release a song to the masses from their bedroom for a couple hundred bucks — whether or not it’s quality is a different discussion.
But back in the 80’s, studio time would cost a lot of money.
So, Jackson would warm-up by himself for at least two hours before every session.
Doing scales — some of the most boring, mundane, repetitive … fundamentals.
It’s the vocal equivalent of only doing layups and free throws.
Two hours. Every time.
But he was a professional, and that’s what he expected of himself.
That discipline and willingness to be ready is what allowed him to be one of the greatest selling artists of all time — and something that probably won’t be repeated again.
So, what are your boring tasks that get the job done?
Is it practicing your sales script and drilling objection overcomes?
Is it implementing product iterations to make the user experience 1% better?
Is it making another variation of an ad?
There is going to be plenty of boring work that isn’t seen in the spotlight.
But to know how long to prepare for what, here’s an easy rule of thumb:
- If you’re doing something once, prepare an hour for every minute (ex: 3 hours of prep for 3 minutes of content)
- If you’re doing something repeatedly, prepare 25% of the time it will be beforehand (ex: a 20 minute sales call should expect 5 minutes of prep)
And what’d ya know?
Michael Jackson prepared 2 hours before sessions that could last 8 hours.
So find your fundamentals, put in the reps, and prepare like a pop star.
Because for him, it paid off.
— And, if you’d like to prepare your mind, head over to readar.ai to find the next book that’s right for you.
Keep seeking,
Michael
