WHEN DO YOU CROSS THE FINISH LINE?

I think we all have a very generic answer to this question. “Yes. Of course we cross the finish line when we hit a goal.” Is that the truth though? I want to challenge that narrative with this blog. What if I told you while you are alive, you will never cross the finish line. Sounds crazy right? Think about it for a second. A finish line is the end. The end of the race. It’s done and you get to rest. However, when does life stop? When does it come to an end? When you are dead. I know that is a morbid statement but it’s important to grasp this concept to be able to appreciate the weight of this blog.

So what are goals then? That is a great question. First before we answer it, we need to turn life into an applicable analogy. Life is a lot like an ultra-marathon. It is a run so vast the idea of running it from beginning to end almost seems impossible. We may think 5 miles ahead or we may even have a 10 mile plan but most of this run is focused on one mile at a time. In marathons they have the places called “wait stations”. They are places you can stop and rest. They usually provide food and drinks for the runners that stop. These stations are scattered throughout the race usually every 15-20 miles. I have watched a lot of ultra-runners on Youtube and almost all of them during the race get to the point where they “run from station to station.”

I look at goals kind of like wait stations. They are the next stop. Some are farther away than others. However, each one when you reach it, you get the opportunity to take a moment to rest and reflect. You then develop your game plan on how you intend on getting to the next goal or “station” and then you go. You solely focus on following the plan to get to the next goal. When you get to that next station, you repeat your process and work towards the next. Every time you get to a station you feel accomplished. You grow in some way whether mentally, physically or spiritually. However, once its achieved and you’ve soaked it in, it’s time to plan for the next one.

I hope by now you can start to see the canvas I am painting. I think the elephant we need to address in the room is why is this perspective important to have? A finish line generally implies being done. When we see goals as crossing that line, we tend to stop doing anything. The problem with that is if you are not going forward, you are going backwards. As it pertains to human growth there is no stagnation. So to adopt the mindset of “no finish line” can help push through those sticking points. The idea you are never done, that you should NEVER SETTLE is powerful as it pertains to YOUR GROWTH. We develop regardless of how we approach life so why approach life with end dates? Set up a goal, get to that goal, reflect on the path to get to that goal, create a new goal and get going. Realize that until you die. You are never finished. So never settle.