Have you ever had the chance to watch an amateur marathon? The most interesting place to watch is, of course, the finish line. To see the runners striding in, achieving their victory as they excitedly cross the finish line. The marathon is, for many endurance runners, a crowning achievement. That inflatable banner with the word “FINISH” inked across it, the realization of a goal accomplished. And it is beneath that finish line that we can see the true measure of one’s goals.
She wasn’t running for the finish line, she was running through the finish line.
I had the opportunity recently to view such a finish, and the insights that parallel so perfectly into our own lives with our own goals, our own unique challenges. To highlight these insights, we need to look no further than two exhausted runners entering the home straight. Feet striking the pavement, blood deafening as it pumps through their ears, the cheers of excited fans boosting adrenaline. As these two runners stormed down the final straight, an interesting thing happened. The lead runner looked at the finish line. This was his destination, this was where he needed to get to, his final mile marker. As he approached the last milestone that would signal the completion of the marathon, he eased off just a touch, letting his motion and exhausted legs coast across the finish line. The runner who was lagging as she entered the home stretch however, she wasn’t looking at the finish line. She wasn’t looking at the other runner. She was looking beyond the finish line. I could tell by the distant look in her eyes that she wasn’t running for the finish line, she was running through the finish line.
And sure enough, 20 meters left, 10 meters left, the gentleman let off his pace and she flew past him. Beating him by almost a full second.
Now this wasn’t a race between the two. By their high fives and congratulations at the end, it was clear they didn’t know each other. So why then did the lady, who was losing coming into the final straight, win? It might have been competitive drive. But likely it was something more than that. She won for the same reason some people hit their goals and some people exceed their goals. She won because she wasn’t focused on the finish line, the mile marker, the milestone. She was focused on exceeding her stated goal. She was focused on excellence.
Therein lies the important lesson. If you want to succeed, I mean truly succeed in any endeavor, you need to look past the next milestone. You need to see the horizon beyond the next mile marker.
It is important to appreciate the milestones that keep us on track. That is why we set goals, and break them down into bite-sized, actionable steps. These milestones that line the path to our vision of an ideal life keep us on track, and not overwhelmed. But once we have momentum going, it is important to keep striving for excellence, to keep pushing past the next finish line and into the life of our dreams beyond.
what is a milestone?
In this context, a milestone is the current goal. As you pursue your goals, it is important to keep up momentum as you accomplish one goal, as that momentum helps you strive for greater successes in the future.