Finish Strong

“You’ll get him for 42 years and no more,” God said. And who am I to question God? Today I lost an acquaintance about whom I was very fond. He was not a great friend, per se. Our paths had not crossed in many, many years. In fact, the last time I saw him and his wife was a few months ago when we took the same redeye out of San Francisco. But he was a good friend when we had the opportunity to be friends, and hearing of his death today shocked and devastated me. Even before I learned of his death, though, I had this title in mind for this month. It has just taken on a broader meaning now. It is December, obviously, the month in which we consider the year to be winding down. (Where did the time go, I have been asking myself quite often lately?) But I want to encourage you to wind up, not down. There is a saying we have in the sports world – advice given to any athlete who has ever participated in any sport – and that is: finish strong. You can’t win a basketball game if you wind down in the fourth quarter. You can’t win a swim race if you wind down before touching the wall. And you can’t win a track event if you wind down before reaching the finish line. So I want to repeat the sage advice that I heard many times in my playing days, hoping you will apply it to this month, as well as your life. Finish strong.

There is one more month left in the year, which if you make the most of it can yield some amazing results. You can use December to carry you strongly and fortuitously into 2012. You can make December mean more than any December ever has. Sure it’s nearly Christmas, and there are the cards that need to be addressed and mailed out, the gifts that need to be purchased, and the parties that need to be attended. But answer me something; what do those activities have to do with whether or not your life is a success? I’m not saying don’t do them. I’m just saying stop making them the priority of your Decembers with the thought that if you can get them all done, you’ve had a successful month. Yes, it may take a little creative planning. It may take a few late nights. It may take less television, or less surfing the web for Hollywood gossip. It may take fewer cocktails, or fewer hangovers. And it may definitely take fewer excuses than you’re used to making as to why you can’t do something different. Create your December strategy and carry it out with gusto knowing that you have not yet reached the finish line.

Along those lines let me close out by reminding you of this; my friend, his 42 years having come to an end this morning, is finished. His race is over. But yours is not. Another Steve Jobs quote I love is as follows:

Almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure –these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Are you living your life as if it’s winding down? Have you gotten to the point where you’ve convinced yourself you’re too old to pursue your dreams, or that it’s too late to do some of the things you desired to do when you were younger? If so, shame on you. How dare you be winding down. Every day you are blessed enough to be able to wake up and step foot out of bed, you have the chance to make something amazing happen. Life is not over until God says it’s over. So, start today making your life as amazing as it has the potential to be. Don’t hesitate. Don’t overthink it. Don’t make excuses. We are here for such a short time. Don’t waste any more of it. And if you’re reading this, I have but one more thing to say to you: FINISH STRONG!