What you’ll walk away with after reading

By the end of this article, you’ll understand:

• Why success depends more on preparation than motivation
• How to capitalize on opportunities in your life
• How to identify the conditions behind any goal
• How education, execution, and persistence work together
• How to take your next step and get one percent closer to reaching any goal
• How to use the Humbled and Empowered Community to get help

This week is about grounding your goals in reality so you can finally start moving with intention.

1. Your success depends on whether your “sail” is ready before the wind arrives

Think of your life like a sailboat. You are on the boat. Some conditions you cannot control, like the water and the wind. The water represents the natural flow of life, the ripples, the storms, the calm stretches, the unexpected waves, and the currents that pull you in various directions. The wind represents opportunity.

Despite these uncontrollable conditions, you still have one responsibility: preparing your sail.

Most people do not fail at their goals because they lack talent, potential, or desire. They fail because their sail is not prepared when the wind of opportunity finally reaches them. They let the water, AKA their circumstances, convince them to delay preparation, not realizing that preparation is what allows them to move the moment a favorable wind appears.

You cannot control the water or the wind.  BUT you can control whether your sail is ready.

When your sail is not ready, here is what happens:

• The wind blows right past you
• Other people catch momentum while you stay still
• You drift wherever the current of life carries you
• You end up somewhere you never intended to go

This is why so many people never reach their goals. Their circumstances became a distraction, and their preparation never happened.

Success is not random. Breakthrough is not accidental. Momentum is not luck. They all come from readiness, preparing what you can control regardless of what the water is doing so that when the wind appears, you can move with it instead of missing it.

This brings us to the core lesson:

Before you chase a goal, you must identify the conditions that must be true for that goal to succeed.

This is the foundation of every meaningful outcome in your life.

2. Every Goal Has Its Conditions – Figure Out What They Are

Every goal depends on specific truths being in place before it can evolve into reality. This is the part most people ignore, which is why they end up drifting instead of progressing.

You cannot reach a goal you are not structurally prepared for. Desire is not preparation. Hope is not preparation. Motivation is not preparation.

Preparation means identifying exactly what must be true for your goal to work.

Example: Wanting to get married

For marriage to be possible, these conditions come first:

• Clarity on what you value
• A partner who matches those values
• You matching their values as well

Your values must align with the relationship you want. Their values must align with the relationship they want. Both sides have conditions.

This is where many people get stuck, not because the goal is out of reach, but because the conditions are not yet in place.

Here is what this looks like in real life:

• If you want someone who values health and wellness, you must value your own health and wellness.
• If you want financial responsibility in a partner, you must practice financial responsibility in your life.
• If you want spiritual alignment, emotional steadiness, or lifestyle compatibility, you must live those things too.

These conditions do not guarantee the relationship, but without them, the relationship cannot take root. Just like a sail cannot catch the wind if it is not positioned correctly.

3. This structure applies to every goal you have

No matter the size, every goal has conditions behind it.

Whether you want to:

• Repair your deck
• Improve your health
• Control your finances
• Start a business
• Make your first million dollars

The process does not change.

Example: Earning one million dollars

These are some of the conditions:

• A product people want
• Clear understanding of the target audience
• Knowledge of your marketing and sales
• A platform
• Financial backing
• Habits that support consistent execution

If any of these conditions are missing, you are not fully prepared to catch momentum, even if the wind hits.

Many people pray for a breakthrough but do not build the structure required.

Wind cannot propel a sailboat without a ready sail just as opportunity cannot move in a life that is unprepared.

4. If you do not know where to start, start by learning

When you feel stuck, it usually means a condition is missing, and that condition is often knowledge. You just simply don’t know how to do what you are attempting to do.

Learning is the first step toward readiness and understanding what conditions must be met in order to achieve a goal.

You can learn through:

• Podcasts
• Books
• Courses
• Articles
• Mentors
• Online communities
• Listening to people doing what you want to do

Learning is one of the most powerful ways to move one percent closer to your goal.

5. After learning comes action – this is where you lift the sail

Once you understand what needs to be done, you must do something with that information.

Execution is:

• Practicing the skills
• Testing ideas
• Making mistakes
• Adjusting
• Showing up consistently

Keep in mind, execution does not require perfection. It just requires consistent momentum and getting 1% closer every day. If you make a mistake, that is just part of the learning process. Adjust and try again.

This is how you position your sail to catch the wind.

6. Persistence is not optional – it is a core condition of success

You cannot build momentum without consistency.

Persistence comes from:

• Habits
• Repetition
• Accountability
• Choosing action even when you do not feel motivated

This is why Nike’s slogan  “just do it” is more than a slogan. It is the simplest explanation of how success works. There is no secret ingredient to success. It really is just choosing to do it, no matter what.

7. Doing nothing is still a decision – and it leads to drifting

Drifting happens when:

• You do not learn
• You do not take action
• You do not remain consistent

Doing nothing does not keep you in place. It lets circumstances choose your direction for you.

You prepare because you trust that when God moves, the wind will propel you closer to your goal instead of further off the path or just missing it entirely.

Repeat This Affirmation

I prepare intentionally and wait patiently, knowing it is all in God’s timing.

Repeat this as you build the conditions behind your goals.

Take Action: Strengthen One Condition This Week

Choose one goal. Identify one condition it depends on. Take one step or get one percent closer toward meeting that condition.

Share Your Goal With the Community

If you are unsure:

• What conditions your goal requires
• What step comes next
• What you need to learn
• Or how to break down your goal

Share it with us in the Humbled and Empowered Community and invite a friend who is also working toward their goals. You can reach your goals faster with a supportive community.