Before you do the work you’ve got to prepare. You’ve got to put the time in to get ready.

If you’re writing a speech that might mean research. If you’re building a house that means deciding what you want the house to look like, what rooms it needs, what materials to use, getting plans drawn up, getting planning permission and probably a lot more.

The better you prepare the easier the work will be. The better you prepare the better the finished work will be.

Sometimes though preparing feels like wasted time. It feels like you should be working already. But the thing is that preparation is part of the work. Not separate. As tempting as it might be don’t skip the preparation.