Finish Strong - Stretch Yourself Till the Finish Line

In this blog, I would like to share some learning I had from the half marathon I participated two weeks back. This was my third half marathon since I have taken up running as a hobby around two years back. In my earlier two marathons I had finished the half marathon (21.07 kilometer) clocking 2 hours 1 minutes, which by all stretch of imagination was an excellent achievement for a person who had just taken running as a passion. This time I was very enthusiastic and passionate about my running as last two marathons were run around a year back and in last one year I had practiced consistently and was confident this time of breaking the 2 hours mark of completion. I started off well and the early morning weather was conducive for running and I was cruising towards my goal till about 16 kilometers. One and half hour through the marathon at 7.30 am I had already covered the distance of 16 kms out of 21 kms distance, however the sun was blowing in full and it started taking toll on me. At this point instead of continuing with the momentum, I started taking breaks at short intervals to avoid dehydration and cramps due to the heat without realizing that these break will have impact on my target for the finish. As it was destined, I completed the half marathon clocking 2 hours 41 seconds, thus missing my set goal, just because I could not keep my strength till the finish line and allowed to drift the momentum with which I had ran 2/3^rd distance of the marathon and did not give that one extra effort. 

I could relate this instance so very well with so many instances we come across in life when we give up after covering 99% of the distance because we do not maintain the same momentum till the finish line and we drift on our goal and fall short of our set goals. As the saying goes, “doing 90% of what is required is one of the biggest wastes, because you have nothing to show for all your efforts.” Instead you must develop the habit of staying committed and finishing strong.

A truly inspiring example of finishing strong can be drawn from the story of ace swimmer Michael Phelps who won eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics to break the record of most medals ever won in a single Olympiad. Most captivating story of his journey was from the seventh contest (100 m butterfly) where Phelps was running behind for 99.9 meters of the distance. Realizing the same in last fraction of a second Phelps thrust his arm into one final stroke while his competitor for final few inches was coasting. Phelps tapped the wall first beating his competitor by a mere one hundredth of a second. Phelps stretched himself with that extra effort to finish it strong.

Most of us may not experience such a dramatic moment in our lifetimes, but we do make daily choices to either stretch or coast towards the finish lines we create for ourselves through personal goals. They are often small decisions, routine things we do not think about a lot while they have a power to determine much of our success.

Reaching the finishing line can be as simple as completing an almost finished project by putting that extra effort to cross the finishing line. Unfinished projects drains your mental energy. It derails your goals. It impacts how you feel about yourself and critically it undermines your reliability in the minds of others.

To put it simple, “Procrastination is the enemy of progress."

Life is full of such moments that require that extra effort, one more stretch to reach the finish line, to achieve success. If you do not have the discipline to persevere well, you are going to end up like Phelps competitors, looking up at the winner from a lower podium or even worse.

Few suggestions which could be helpful in building the habit of finishing strong:

1.     Engage in brick by brick thinking. Success requires daily progress. This is possible only when you practice with regular discipline every day as these small, incremental actions turn into tangible steps toward success. All success is built and sustained just like a building is built, one brick at a time.

2.     Amplify the reward: When you don't feel like doing what you should, then focus on why finishing is important. The why can keep you motivated even when you lack desire. Motivation is fickle. You can't depend on your emotions to keep you committed to your goals. So think of the end result and keep it in the forefront of your mind. How will you feel when you accomplish your goal? Why is it a priority for you? By focusing on the answers you will create for yourself strong change of reaching your goals.

3.     Build structure and systems around your goals: Great intentions will not take you very far. You need systems, they make it easier for you to stay disciplined. You should have insatiable hunger to learn. Fill your life with systems that would move you forward and push you to reach your wall.

4.     Surround yourself with support: You should have a network of people who supports you and encourage you in your goals. If you want to succeed, surround yourself with people who will help you, encourage you and when necessary hold your feet to the fire. Remember to choose wisely, your success largely depend on the company you keep.

5.     Quitting isn't an option: A great start is important, because all's well that ends well. But it takes much more to reach your goals. Think of it like farming - you can prepare the land immaculately and plant the seeds just right, but if you don't water, fertilize and cultivate as you go, than you wasted your time by planting the crop. Remember the reward that awaits you - the fruit you will harvest - and it will help you get you through the times of hard work in the summer. When you made the choice to start, you made the choice to finish. It isn't two choices...it’s one. If you aren't careful quitting can become a habit, however if you practice diligently finishing can also become a habit.

It is absolutely true that the fortune is at the finish line and that is why Michael Phelps aggressively reach for the wall at that critical moment. He could do this because he had practiced finishing strong every day of his life. And that made the difference between gold and silver. Let us remember, oftentimes, the only thing separating us from success is a few inches. So do not let up, and reach for the finish line.

Source: Learnings from articles written by John Maxwell and Darren Hardy