In his book, Great By Choice, Jim Collins tells the story of the famous race to the South Pole between Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott. Both were experienced and accomplished explorers, and since their expeditions took place simultaneously, they both endured the same extreme weather during their journeys. Yet, although there were similarities, the outcomes of the two treks were drastically different. Amundsen’s team arrived at the South Pole first, and all of them made it back safely. Scott’s team, on the other hand, arrived at the pole over a month later than Amundsen, and worst of all, none of them made it back to safety alive.
What was the cause of the difference in the results? In Collins’ description of the two expeditions, he highlights the extreme level of preparation that Amundsen had gone to. He had thought through all the different possibilities of what could go wrong, assuming that some of these things could very well happen, and planned accordingly. He knew he couldn’t control the weather, or the luck that he and his team would have—whether good or bad—but he could proactively prepare as thoroughly as possible. And in so doing, he effectively reduced the risk that his trip would be sabotaged by poor weather or bad luck.
The take away from the story is that although we may not be racing to the South Pole, we all live in a world where the future is uncertain. We have no idea how things will go tomorrow, or what unforeseen events will take place. But, we can prepare. We can do what we can today, so that we will be better prepared tomorrow, whatever it may bring. Because when we’re prepared, not only can we endure when things don’t go as we’d like, but we can also make the most of whatever opportunities may arise.