I’ve been watching the Winter Olympic Games and for some reason I forgot to change the channel when there was a commercial break. Surprisingly, I’m happy that I forgot.

The commercial started by asking a thought-provoking question, “Why do we always set our sights on the finish, when the most important moment is the start?”

It showed a young skier staring up the mountain, dreaming about what could be. Then it followed him through the years, climbing, training, growing, until he’s standing in the starting gate at the Olympics. And again restates the message that the start matters just as much as the finish

What a great thought, especially today, in the middle of our hectic lives. Modern life seems to condition us to focus exclusively on the goal and on the end. Yet, it’s in the beginning where we can really set our sights to achieve something amazing. 

At the start, there are no boundaries, no critics, no obstacles that are too hard to overcome. Like that young athlete in the commercial, the world is full of wonder and possibilities.

Do you remember what that felt like?

How many times have you talked yourself out of starting something great because you jumped straight to the “how” before you gave yourself permission to dream about the “what”?

That’s what we do.
We skip the wonder and excitement.
We fast-forward to the obstacles.
We rehearse the reasons it won’t work.

And over time, that becomes a habit. A pattern. We stop aiming for greatness and settle into “good enough.” Not because we can’t do more. But because we never fully let ourselves begin.

The start, and everything in between may be more important than the finish, because once you begin your journey there are so many other accomplishments and milestones that you get to experience along the way.

Think about the last time you accomplished something you were really proud of. Now, identify all the amazing lessons you learned during the process.

I would venture to say that many of those lessons have helped shape the person you’ve become today, even if the outcomes weren’t exactly what you intended.

So why do we only celebrate the trophy?

Why do we forget the early mornings, the awkward first attempts, the small wins, the steady progress?

Those are the real milestones. Those are the Quarter Turns.

Are you noticing them?
Are you celebrating them?
Or are you so locked in on the “gold medal” that you’re missing the growth happening right in front of you?

Start being an intentional participant in your own life. Your days are meant to be more than a checklist. More than tasks completed and emails answered.

I believe in the power goal setting, gaining clarity, and the ambition it takes to want to win. I am also certain that the beginning of the process, the wonder and excitement that takes place at the start of creating these goals, and celebrating all the stepping stones and big rocks that we accomplish along the way, are just as important as the goal itself.

Remember, it’s really not our goals that define us. It’s the person we become in pursuit of those goals that really counts. That’s what’s important, and that’s what people will remember long after you’ve stepped onto the podium to accept your Olympic medal.

Ask yourself this week:

Have I focused enough attention on the start?

How has being so completely focused on the “gold medal” or the goal impacted myself or my team, good or bad?

Where am I missing the most important milestones in my business or in my life?

Where will I become an active, intentional participant in the most important game of all.. my own life?

How will I get started today?

Thoughts for the Week:

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” – Meister Eckhart

“Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.”  – Ralph H Blum

“Coming our of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end… because in the end it shows you a whole new world.” – Manoj Arora

“I’ve been running so sweaty my whole life, urgent for a finish line, and I have been missing the rapture this whole time of forever being incomplete.” – Alanis Morissette

Looking forward to our next connection