The Rule of the Maze

In preparing for anything worthwhile, you begin from the end. Where do you want to be? When do you want to be there? How much will it cost to get there? Place you pin at any point on the map and work your route backwards from there. It is easiest to find the right path to the maze’s end point by starting your search at the maze’s end point.

Imagine that you are at the apex of a stairway with more than one staircase leading to it. From the top of the stairs, you can see all the staircases and see which of them lead where. You can see how long it will take to climb them, which have more stairs, which have no barristers.

Ones perspective when you commence your planning from the end backward is all encompassing. There is little that you shall miss by starting your analysis at the end point

Descend that staircase one step at a time until the complete staircase has revealed itself. By the time you are at the bottom, you will know how many stairs there are, how long it will take to climb them, how difficult it will be to climb them, which among the stairs may be shaky. You will be able to ask: Which among them may be prone to slip or break? What alternatives are available if one or more should break? How to take advantage of those alternatives if necessary? How will using the alternatives impact my resources? My time? My money? My stamina? Physically, how do I prepare my body for the climb? How much time do I have to prepare my body? Will I need team mates? What should be their skill? How should they be selected? What if one of them is not available? What if one fails to climb? What will it require to recruit a team member?

As you can see from the top of the stairs the questions will suggest themselves. The answers to the questions is your preparation.

To some, preparation is an unglamorous chore. It is a task to be performed as one might do housework. Something to get over and done with before moving on to the main course, the task itself. These people should know that there is no clear dividing line between preparation and performance.