Winning the Race Against Yourself

A thousand people, including you, crowd together at a start line to begin the race of a lifetime—a race that makes a triathlon look like a leisurely stroll in the park.

Holy cow, how will you ever beat so many other people to the finish line and win the race?

About a quarter of the way through the race, four hundred people drop out due to poor conditioning. Through the next quarter of the race, another three hundred people drop out because of leg cramps. During the next leg of the race, two hundred fifty people drop out because of exhaustion. By the last portion of the race, it’s you and forty-nine other people racing toward the finish line. At this point, you realize you’re no longer racing against anyone but yourself. 

In nearly everything we do (work, art, relationships, entrepreneurship, etc.), our race is a long marathon and not a sprint. Physical preparation is needed to run the race but many forget that mental preparation is needed as well. Doing the dirty work day in and day out without seeing the fruits of your labor on a consistent basis can be difficult. But with mental preparation, one is able to gain insight as to whether the should pack it up or continue in the race (and for how long). 

Note 

Mental preparation can be: Self-coaching, working with a coach, working with a mentor, reading, studying, and short trial runs of your race. 

Keep running your race. Find ways to measure mini success in pursuit of the longterm goal. Don’t forget it’s okay to take a breather too. Mental and physical rest is an important part of the journey. 

You and no one else owns the race you run. You’re not competing with anyone but yourself.