04/16/2024
"To finish first, first you must finish."
-Dario Franchiti (attributed to many other drivers over the years, too)
Finishing includes many things. It includes arriving prepared, practicing and qualifying, starting, then competing, and finally being able to make the charge at the end (or maintain your position) to gain victory.
Many people look at the "charge at the end" as the "mechanism" that wins the race, but in reality it's 1% of the job. Consistency and determination create the other 99%.
Showing up prepared, working hard to stay that way, working hard to execute in the mid-game, and finally putting yourself in position before the end game approaches is the "stuff" that creates the win.
This applies to everything from the competitors at the Boston Marathon yesterday to an F1 team, to a football or baseball team, to every team in every workplace, all the way (down?) to a 2nd grade student trying to pass a test.
So if you're going to take pride in something, take pride in consistently showing up early, consistently working hard, consistent attention to detail, consistent lifelong learning, a consistent desire to consistently improve, a consistent determination, a consistent positive attitude, and all the little things that make up the 99%, most of which require zero talent.
We put this on the wall Professional Auto Diagnostics and Repairs, Inc. to remind us every day what it takes to be a winner in the long game. Stay motivated!
