Slow and Steady Wins The Race
I’m not sure where this saying came from. Every race I’ve ever seen wasn’t won by someone going slow and steady. In fact, even in marathons, the contestants who win are actually sprinting each mile. Look up race times to see if I’m telling the truth. It’s pretty remarkable that they can run that fast for that long without their bodies giving out. It amazes me every time I see the winner of a marathon and then see their split times. I can’t run that fast for half a mile let alone 26.2 miles!
Although races in the athletic world are won with speed and great effort, I’ve discovered there are races that aren’t won by speed. In fact, if you go too fast you might end up losing the race and your life in the process. Look up the Yukon Arctic Ultra. This by far seems to be the most brutal race. It lasts some 13 days in sometimes -40 degrees Celsius temps. Yikes! You’re not going as fast as you can in this race. This kind of race takes dedication, perseverance, careful planning, thoughtful rest stops, etc. Slow and steady wins this race. Being careless and going as fast as possible could cost you your life.
The same is true in many stages of our lives. Careful planning, perseverance, thoughtful rest, stops of rejuvenation and recalibration are what it takes to conquer goals and reach dreams. We may start in an all-out sprint toward success but we quickly realize it’s not sustainable. Success is so fleeting. You can sprint to achieve whatever your idea is of success is but even if you achieve it, the target usually moves again. Success doesn’t keep us happy for long. Too many people have achieved their version of success and when it was all said and done felt more empty, more alone, and more broke than they did when they set out on their journey. “Success” can mean failure if it costs you everything. At times it leaves humankind morally bankrupt and sometimes even costs them their lives. Don’t watch, but the “E! True Hollywood Story” would be a great example of this!
Instead, we should pursue excellence. Excellence is the standard that is above everything. The founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy used to say, “Success is a temporary arrangement, but excellence endures when success moves on.” It allows us to think carefully, plan methodically, and persevere to greater heights than we ever thought possible. When we can measure excellence and see where we are in relation to it, we can map basecamps along the way that act as guideposts to our destination of becoming excellent in what we do or set out to achieve.
Truett also used to say, “No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.” Pursue excellence. Plan carefully. Slow and steady wins the race. It won’t happen overnight, but you can set yourself up for the win if you do it right! Don’t run this race by yourself. It’s too dangerous on your own. If you take the time to gain wisdom from others, pray, set goals, and recalibrate when necessary, then no goal will be too high!
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” -Mark 8:36
