Life Lessons from Track

I received this in a WhatsApp forward.

"The men's Olympic 100 meters shows that how you finish is more important than how you start. (There's a life lesson in here somewhere.) The other thing to notice is that the fastest 10-meter segment for both athletes is from 60-70 meters. A lot like success in life -- things often start slowly but get faster later, as you apply your strategy and gain momentum. (Isn't it great how track teaches us about life?) Here are the 10-meter times between American Noah Lyles (left) and Jamaican Kishane Thompson (right)." 10m - 1.95 vs. 1.90 20m - 2.98 vs. 2.93 30m - 3.90 vs. 3.84 40m - 4.76 vs. 4.72 50m - 5.61 vs. 5.56 60m - 6.44 vs. 6.41 70m - 7.26 vs. 7.24 80m - 8.09 vs. 8.07 90m - 8.93 vs. 8.92 100m - 9.784 vs. 9.789 Credit-Thanoo Saowaros

This got me thinking. Is there something we can learn to apply in our daily lives from this?

Finishing strong applies to many aspects of life, from personal growth to career development. However, while all of us Focus is on the finish line, Is there a best strategy to follow in real situations?

I have found that working on projects both at work and personal life, these have helped me finish strong.

Start with the end in Mind - We need to know what we plan to achieve. The strategy to run a 100 mts. vs a Marathon are very different.

Understanding Timeline- In reality, work projects or personal projects have a fixed timeline- Eg, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months and so on... Breaking down the project into bite size goals works well.

Strong Start- Early bird catches the worm. Starting strong is very essential. Small victories in the start helps the team to keep the momentum going.

Celebrate small Milestones - Team needs to be acknowledged continuously for the work done well. Just words are not enough. Having a meal together, or going out for a game together helps build the team for success. In personal goals, we must take time off to celebrate our achievements however small they may seem.

Have room for Failures - We can never know when Mr Murphy will appear in the projects we do. Having contingency plans to accommodate sudden surprises is essential. Not just plan B, but Plan C, Plan D also need to be kept in mind for us to take quick action. This is where experience comes in.

What do you think? Is there something else to keep in mind to finish strong?