The Mindset of "Finishing Strong"

Written by Sebastian Little

You’re almost at the end. Now what? 

Are you going to chase the win or are you going to chase being a winner? 

Amateurs coast to the end. They’ve built up success and ride the momentum to the finish line. The goal is to win, or at least to complete the objective they set out to complete. 

Professionals finish through the line. At each interval, they have reflected, learned, and integrated. The idea of mastery is bigger than the vanity associated with winning. Gold medals are important only as indicators of progress toward a larger vision. The finish line is an affirmation of the ‘becoming’ they set out with in the beginning. 

For these individuals, it was never actually about winning. The race, competition, or project was only an endeavor to prove who they already are and strengthen who they were already in the process of becoming. 

When you approach the “end”… It serves as a test of what you are committed to. If you’re truly committed to your craft, then there is typically something big enough, challenging enough, or scary enough that forces you to question if you really wanted it bad enough in the first place. In other words, “is what you said that you wanted to become actually the thing that you want?”

We see this plight happen more often than we’d like: 

• For the athlete, the acquisition of money, status, and fame take away the edge that made them the ultimate competitor. 

• For the artist, the abundance of sex, bottle service, and attention dull the creativity that made his pen novel and visionary. 

• For the politician, the roar of the crowd and emotional win makes her numb to the pleas of the neighborhood she vowed to always serve. 

• For the coach, the chase of public recognition and sexy new branding before the big launch erodes the trust and relationship they’ve held with their longest clients. 

Now… I ask…

Are you committed to the outcome or are you committed to the identity? Will you choose to honor your commitment even when it’s no longer easy, fun, exciting, or convenient?

My challenge to you: Find meaning in the mundane

Our willingness to re-discover, re-choose, and re-invent is the access point to consistent and sustainable commitment. It is irrational and foolish to think that the next version of ourselves would not be tested or challenged on our path of becoming. Mastery demands that we become adept and intentional at the seemingly meaningless tasks that most amateurs put on autopilot.

So… when you near ‘the end’, the work is to find the meaning in the mundane. Here are a few practices to take on as you approach your mountaintop: 

• Zoom in (or out) a bit further. Observe what you notice up close or far away. 

• Approach the same task from a new angle

• Approach the same task with a new intention

• Get 1% more precise

• Find a bit more color. Notice the one new thing.

• Do the same thing twice. Notice the difference. 

• Reflect often. Journal about the same question for 7 days. See what stays the same and capture what is different.