This is popularly translated as “Victory loves preparation”, however I recently came across a few discussions on latin in which it is suggested that the literal translation is “victory loves care”, meaning care in the sense of taking pains to achieve something.

From that comes the popular translation “victory loves preparation”, though it also puts forward another which I like even more, namely, “success favours those who take pains”

Choosing to prepare often means foregoing something else, often means foregoing the first-order pleasure in return for the second-order benefit. It can mean taking some pain in the short term in exchange for success.

And that doesn’t necessarily mean the obvious physical pain; the ‘no-pain, no-gain’ mantra of the serious gym-goes (although it could). It can also be more subtle than that.

By foregoing the pleasure of relaxing on the couch tonight watching an episode of a great series on Netflix in order to diligently lay out your gym clothes for the morning, packing your work clothes neatly into a bag for the shower after the gym, you take a little pain (foregoing that great series on Netflix), and yet you are way more likely to be successful at going to the gym. The no-pain, no-gain isn’t only at the gym. It’s before. And it’s after.

You don’t have to choose to take the pains, because you don’t have to choose to be successful. But you can.