Does Faster Make it Better?

No doubt, you know the story of the tortoise and the hare.

Just in case you missed childhood, here’s the recap – the forest animals have a race – hare gets so far ahead he takes a nap – tortoise keeps on plugging and by the time the hare awakens, the race has been lost. Great parable about how slow and steady can overcome fast and cocky. However, there is another lesson in this story. It has to do with finishing what you start.

Jenn is a triathlete.

For whatever crazy reason this is of great appeal (yes, I am rolling my eyes). What kind of sane person wishes to swim miles, then bike miles followed by running? My first clue of insanity should have been when she hitched up with me, but I digress. The thing is that Jenn is the slowest runner on the planet (possibly, I exaggerate a bit). It may take every bit of the time limit but there will be a finish! A strong finish (last mile at the same pace as the first mile).

As the person who is standing on the side of the road all day waiting I sometime wonder, why not just stop. I have witnessed top athletes drop out of the race because they got a flat, or faced some other obstacle, which could be easily over come. The answer is always, finishing is it’s own reward.

Winning is not always about how quickly you reach your goal. In fact, in life, speed is not what matters most. It is just about reaching the goal. Sure finishing your Masters Degree in your 20’s would be great, but it is just as meaningful in your 30’s or later. Maybe learning another language would be easy when you are six, but you will be bi-lingual if you learn it at 60. Live your life at your pace. Reach for your goals.