Preparation and Fear

Plenty of abs but no balls on the road to the top of Mount Vesuvius

When I read something provocative or striking and believe it might be useful I write it down. Coming across old notes and old quotes triggers consideration, especially as my perspective has changed. This one reminded me that every now and then even a tool can say something useful, and yes, that T is intentional.

"No balls, no baby: That's what I like to say. It's so true. Most people don't want to cross that line. There's safety on one side, uncertainty on the other. Most people don't take that step. And it's not even so much that they're afraid to take the step; it's that they know deep down that they didn't do the work necessary to be prepared, and that's the big difference. Most people think, 'Oh, I have a great idea, and the only thing missing is that I don't have the connections, I don't have the access to money.' But that's the biggest bunch of bullshit. The minute anyone says that to me, I know they're a failure. Because if you're prepared and you know what it takes, it's not a risk. You just have to figure out how to get there. There is always a way to get there."

— Mark Cuban

I read this 13 years ago and it rang the bell, hard and loud. His point that fear results from a deep-seated and unconscious knowledge that one has not done the work necessary to cross a line safely resonated with the climber in me. Clearly, this can be applied to many aspects of life and living it but in the mountains this should probably a first principle. Whenever I had done the preparatory work and I knew it in my blood, my sense that I was taking a risk faded to background noise. Preparation can't eliminate risk but it put me in condition to mitigate it, and to handle a reasonable level of unforeseen events.

Doing the preparatory work up front is a wholistic advantage, and often convincing enough to push you across the line, to address uncertainty and give it - whatever IT is - a confident try. When you haven't done the work you know it just as well as you know when you have, but if you haven't prepared properly it is very difficult to admit. When you line up on 'race' day you should be nervous but not afraid. If you're afraid it's probably your conscience reminding you that you faked your way through the training and preparation and now you are about to pay for it.