By Kefilwe Morobane, Founder and Managing Director of Giving Wings

I have a confession to make… The truth is...nothing in my life has just happened. Every opportunity, job interview, meeting or connection has happened because of preparation. I have a true story to share with you that demonstrates this.

In 2009, I was in University and desperately wanted a car. I was tired of commuting with taxis and wanted the freedom that comes with owning your own car. I knew my parents could not afford to purchase me a car. However, as a bursary student I always had extra cash on me from vacation work. I decided that I would use the extra money to book for my learner’s licence test. My parents were confused, they didn’t understand why I was so eager to get the licence because I did not have a car and the prospects of owning a car soon were very slim. Nonetheless, I journeyed on and passed my learner's license test, failed round 1 of the driver's license test (sadly, the car rolled) so I went back and finally passed in round 2! In 2011, I juggled full time work and studies. It was tough. Traveling a journey to work that would take me 15 minutes by car took me 1 hour (or more) with a taxi. Most days I was late for work. Physically exhausted from travelling with a heavy bag that was filled with textbooks because straight after work I would run to the taxi rank in order to be on campus by 5:30 pm for class. I wanted to give up… either stop work and just study or work and study later. During this challenging period my brother (who is also an entrepreneur and my business mentor) encouraged me to be strong and persevere.

In May 2011, my brother handed me keys to my brand new car and said… you deserve it sis! Wow... I still get goosebumps when I think about that day. Many think I am lucky to have received a fully paid brand new car from my brother, but I believe it was because of my level of preparation that propelled me to:

Secure all the necessary documents to be an eligible driver (licence)
Achieve excellent grades at University (hard work)
Have a job that enabled me to pay for the car insurance and maintenance costs (responsibility)

The lesson here is, whether you are presenting a business report, facilitating a strategy session or have an important meeting at the office, it is critical that you invest time in preparation. Over the years I have witnessed many individuals who have had amazing opportunities fail dismally because they were not prepared.

So, what do you really want? Is it a promotion, new job, business opportunity or perhaps a new car? The question is, are you prepared? To help you on your own preparation journey, here are some useful tips on the Power of Preparation to guide you.

Click on this YouTube link to watch.

I leave you with one of my favourite quotes from Oprah Winfrey about luck.

“I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.” Oprah Winfrey

Kefilwe Morobane is an award-winning Public Speaker, Communications Specialist and Social Entrepreneur. She is the founder and Managing Director of Giving Wings, a Communication Skills Training Company. Kefilwe holds a B Com Honours degree in Communication Management and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Communication Management from the University of Pretoria. She is passionate about developing effective communicators and has facilitated workshops for a wide range of reputable organisations, equipping professionals with the necessary tools to help them excel in the workplace. Kefilwe has been featured on numerous media platforms namely: 702, SABC News, Power FM, Kaya FM, ETV, DRUM Magazine, SA FM, Tshwane TV and many more.