Reaching Goals: Sprinting to the Finish Line
Creative pursuits are like long distance running: it’s more about endurance than sprinting.
My track and cross-country coach, Mark Carpenter, once pointed out to me that the way I was sprinting the last 150 meters of a 3.1 meter race was a sign I was leaving too much on the course. He coached me to run more consistently, and slightly faster, during the middle of the race, during the tough miles. By the end, it was too late!
Coach Carp’s advice about running is now an adage I follow for music. I’m reminding myself about it a lot this week, now that I’m in the middle of the tour (almost past the second week, 1520 miles into 4000+).
Success isn’t a sprint to the finish line; the hard work is in the middle of the race, the time where it gets tough, the time where we need to exert about 10-15% more energy, focus or attention.
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