“My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: ‘Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you’ll win…'” – Carl Lewis
A runner friend of mine once told me that the most important mindset principle for success in competitive running, especially in endurance races, is twofold: stay focused on the ground immediately in front of you, and work your plan.
In her opinion, many runners got suckered into expending too much energy too early in the race by the less experienced runners who would dart out to the front of the pack due to race-time adrenaline. This would always inspire fear, she said, that the lead was becoming insurmountable and that the race was being lost.
Because of this, some runners would violate their game plan and try to keep pace with the front of the pack. Inevitably, she said, those runners would slow their pace as they reached the limit of their training, and would fall back to the middle of the pack. However, the best runners who were wise enough to stick with their plan, forged by their months or years of training, would inevitably rise through the ranks and finish near the front.
I’ve often thought about her insights when approaching my own work. It’s tempting to look around at others who are doing similar work, and then to allow what I see to cause me to violate my game plan, my pace, my strategy. It’s easy to allow the plague of expectation escalation to cause my work in the immediate term to feel inadequate, even though it’s simply in-process.
The lesson that I’ve embraced over the past decade of life and work is a simple one: because of unique passions, skills, experiences, and opportunities, each of us have a unique race to run. It’s ours alone, and cannot be compared to the race being run by others. When we allow the stigma of judgment, comparison, or envy to tempt us off course, we violate the fullness of our unique contribution. We short-circuit our potential because we exhaust ourselves chasing “ghost runners” and “phantom success”. We lose sight of the end goal, and in turn we lose sight of ourselves.
I don’t mean for this to sound flighty or fluffy. Many organizations I’ve worked with have succumbed to the very same temptation. Their strategy suddenly seems wholely unsatisfying when they see the gains being made by a competitor. As such, they begin to do things that are out of character, pushing themselves into territory that stretches everyone to the breaking point. Inevitably, there is the crash, the burn, and the rebuilding, all because they were suckered into chasing someone else’s perceived success. (By the way, I’ve come to learn that the very things we envy are often well-constructed illusions, designed to inspire respect, but ultimately hollow.)
Run your race. Execute your plan. Do your work, not someone else’s. Don’t allow envy, spite, ego, or greed to derail you or cause you to chase a phantom ideal that was never meant for you. You have a valuable contribution to make in the arena of influence you’ve been given, but if you are not diligent you may wind up gaining quick ground in the short-term, only to watch the pack pass you a few miles down the road.
It takes bravery to know your strengths and to diligently operate within them. Be brave today, and run your race.
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Great advice! Thanks Todd
Love this Todd! I constantly suffer from misplaced jealousy of others’ perceived success. Thanks for the reminder to stay the course.
Keep on keeping on, Jeff. You’re doing great work.
Just the message I needed to hear. Thanks!
Todd, I read this post on Friday and thought it was interesting. Then later on that day I interviewed our mutual friend Dane Sanders for a podcast episode.
The conversation with Dane was stimulating. Dane is an inspirational guy to talk with, yet following the call I suddenly was filled with tons of self doubt. Hearing Dane’s mindset, approach and strategy to life and his career made me begin to doubt my approach.
That night as I laid in bed, I just couldn’t fall asleep as the conversation with Dane repeated in my head. Then I remembered this blog post. I remembered that this is my race, and I can run it my own way.
Great article Todd and thank you for sharing.
Jake, thanks for sharing your experience. In truth, this post was written with one finger pointing squarely in my own chest. I tend to look left and right as well. However, there are so many variables in life and business that the only effective strategy is to consistently do what you can control and can do well, be prepared, and stay open for new opportunities when they arise.
Brilliant insight Todd. Thank you!
Sticking to my own race is something I’ve had to keep in mind as we’re different racers than pretty much all of our colleagues. Unlike our colleagues, we don’t do paid advertising, even though tests proved our ads were well received. We don’t don’t do joint ventures, even though we’ve been invited to. We don’t do affiliate marketing, even though we’ve been asked to set up a program for our products. We don’t speak at events, even though we’ve been invited to. We don’t guest post, even though we’ve been invited to.
We don’t 99% of the traditional marketing that other racers do. And yet, here we are coming on five years still chugging along with plenty of wind in our sail.
It’s been a challenge to watch the other racers skyrocket to fame doing what we know would allow us to do the same, but we’ve been persistent about doing what’s right for us. And it has paid off handsomely.
I thank you Todd for reminding me to keep my eyes on the prize and to be happy running the race that suits my particular needs. It’s always good to reinforce the optimism stamina. :)
I’ve had the same experience, Lewis. It’s easy to fall prey to the comparison game, or to want someone else’s opportunities or experiences. While there’s nothing wrong with striving to achieve more impact with your work, it’s easy to slip into short-cut methodology that ultimately undercuts your body of work.
This is great Todd! So easy to forget that we each have that unique, creative contribution to make…and that it’s one only we can deliver. Thanks for staying the course man!
Thank you, Jim. Glad you found it helpful.