Welcome to the channel. In the last few episodes of Better and Leading You, we began looking at the Hypothetical Marathoner, and our intentions was to learn crucial life lessons that would help us to become a better and a winning people. And so, today, we are concluding with “The Winning Marathoner” and our goal is to observe the winning marathoner, learning ten things that makes winners out of them. So, let us get into it.
The first thing that I have observed that winning marathoners have that separates them from the rest is VISION. Winning marathoners have a clear picture of where they want to end, the position they want to take in the competition. Of course, many people do have vision before they set out in the race, but winning marathoners don’t go into a race that they have not envisioned themselves winning.
Besides vision, another thing that I have realized that winning marathoners have is A STRATEGY. They have a plan, a way they intend to follow into their success, a method they intend to employ. You cannot succeed accidentally, anyway does not lead you into success, there is a way that can lead you into success and if you want to succeed, you must have that way before you even began running. Haven gotten vision and strategy; the winning marathoner is then guided by the two in the place of PREPARATION. You cannot win until you have prepared to win. And if you must prepare to win, you must prepare being guided by your vision to win and your strategy for success.
The next thing I have noticed about winning marathoners is that they have actually lost in the past. Many people want to start out with success, they don’t want to have any failure at all. Of course, I understand the sentiment, but usually, most people don’t start out winning. Most people start out with certain experiences that are unpleasant but yet necessary for their growth. So, the winning Marathoner has vision, strategy, preparation and then lessons from past failures. Many of us don’t want to fail. However, if you must succeed, you must have had certain lessons that you got from your past mistakes. So, what separate winning Marathoners from the loosing ones is the lessons they have learnt from the past mistakes. Some have made mistakes yet without learning any lessons from them. But winning marathoners accumulate those past mistakes, past failures as lessons for a better outing in the next opportunity they get. And so, with all that on the side of the winning marathoner, the winning marathoner then starts the competition as planned.
The issue with most marathoners is not lack of plan. Many marathoners have plans just like many of us. However, only few start the competition just as they planned it. Many people when they find themselves in a competitive environment, they suddenly forget everything that they have planned they would do. So, haven abandoned their own plans, they start the race anyhow. So, how do you expect to win a race that is started anyhow? Another thing that I have noticed that separates winning marathoners from the losing ones is THE ABILITY TO SUSTAIN THEIR MOMENTUM in the race. Many people start the race well, however, as the race continues, they lose the momentum that they started with. If you must win the race, if you must emerge the winner in the competition, then you must be able to sustain your momentum throughout the course of the race. If you have observed a typical marathon race, you would notice that beside the people competing for the prize, there are so many people along the path cheering them up for success. However, winning marathoners have learnt to shield themselves from the influences of those people.
In every competition, there are environmental influences, and successful competitors have learnt to shield themselves from the influences of the environment. So, winning marathoners have learnt to shield themselves and you must learn it if you want to achieve success over the long haul.
Besides shielding themselves from the environmental influences, another thing I have noticed that winning marathoners do is that they LOCK THEMSELVES ON FOR THE PRIZE AHEAD. For most marathoners, as the competition thickens, they get carried away by the environment and the stress, the pressure, to the point that they lose sight of the prize ahead of them. So, what winning marathoners do is to keep their focus on the prize.
One thing is very clear, marathon race is highly demanding, so stressful, it demands so much endurance, and so winning marathoners have learnt to ENDURE THE PAIN AND THE PRESSURE IN THE COMPETITION. Most marathoners, as the competition becomes difficult, they slow down and they try to relax but winning competitors have learnt to endure the pain. It is painful, every competition is painful. You will hardly find any competition that is not painful. There are pressures available in every competition and so if you want to win, you must learn to endure the pain and the pressure of your competition.
The last thing I have noticed about winning marathoners that separate them from the losing marathoners is that THEY HAVE LEARNT TO ENJOY THE LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY OF SUCCESS. Success in a marathon race is in stages. When a marathon race is started, there are certain people that are in front and so they are ahead of others. And as the competition continues, some other people get to be in the front. Now, what separates winning marathoners from the losing marathoners is that they learn to enjoy the leadership responsibility of being in front.
When you are in front of others, it is a moment that is to be enjoyed if you must remain there. For many marathoners, when they get to the frontline, they are afraid, they are watching their backs. They are like “oh! Hope somebody will not catch up with me?” Instead of enjoying the moment they are busy looking behind, they are busy watching their competitors but successful marathoners have learnt to enjoy it. They enjoy it so much that they remain in it. That’s one thing I have realized separates winning marathoners from the losing marathoners. Success is leadership on its own and it is a responsibility. If you must remain a successful competitor, you must learn to enjoy the responsibility of your leadership.
Alright, we have come to the end of the video. Perhaps you are wondering, “could this be all that I require to be successful?” It may not be all that you require but it might be enough to get you into that frontline and to keep you there. Don’t forget, you must have a vision of yourself being ahead of others. Again, besides the vision, you must have the right strategy. With the strategy, you must prepare for the success that you desire. I believe as you put these things to practice, you will emerge a winner in your own competition and you will become a better, a leading personality.
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Thank you for the gift of your time, I hope to connect with you again in another episode of Better and Leading You. Till then, I want you to sustain the momentum for your success, I want you to stay safe.
