Alexander Graham Bell, inventor: “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success”

Alexander Graham Bell patented the first functional telephone in 1876, but his invention was not some sudden stroke of luck or genius. He had spent years preparing, experimenting, and observing how telegraphs and sound work before he succeeded at transmitting speech through a wire.

It’s app then that he famously said, “before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” The often-quoted statement by the Scottish-born inventor is used to show that sufficient preparation enables us to achieve a successful execution on our goal.

He wasn’t the only one to expression this sentiment. The Stoic Roman philosopher Seneca was also a believer in preparation. He is credited with saying, “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” He felt that getting all your ducks in a row ahead of time helped have your priorities clear and organize your time, thus saving you energy.

This can also help overcome the idea of preparation becoming a barrier to getting things done because of paralysis by analysis. By limiting our options and accepting that a good decision made in the moment is far more preferable to a perfect decision that never comes as you can make adjustments as you move forward.

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