There is no guarantee in sports.
When Roger Federer entered the center court he could never be 100% certain to win the match. No matter how well he prepares, there’s always be the possibility of defeat.
He enters the center court regardless. He plays the match regardless.
Repeat.
There is no guarantee in communication. No matter how well we prepare, our story just might not work for this particular audience. Or there might be a tough question which gets us by surprise.
We enter the stage regardless. We give our talk regardless.
A huge source of misunderstanding is the purpose of preparation. We don’t prepare to eliminate uncertainty. Quite the opposite. We prepare to be able to face uncertainty and give our best despite the scariness of the moment.