I discovered recently that when I run I look at the ground.  And while it might help me avoid stumbling over a pothole, if I’m looking at the ground that means I’m not really looking at what’s ahead of me.  And then I’m not ready for what’s coming. 

On my vacation I did a 4 mile race, which means I did a pattern of running for 10 minutes then walking for two minutes.  Early in the race I passed an “older” man (who was probably my age – or younger).  Apparently he stayed behind me just about the entire way.  Hot, dehydrated and tired at the end of the race I was thankful to do a little walk before I would end with a run.

And he passed me, saying, “I’m really sorry!  You had me the entire way!”

When I looked up to see him zoom by (zoom, of course, being a relative term) I saw “FINISH” around the corner just yards ahead.   It would have been quite easy to see – if I had been looking for it.  And it would have been quite easy to finish before him, if I hadn’t lost the momentum by slowing to walk.  (He actually came up to me after the race and apologized for beating me!)

What kind of race are you running right now?  Where do you want to go?  What are you doing to get there?  Are you taking time to look up and look ahead at what’s coming?  Do you know what might potentially derail you and what might give you joy along the way?  Are you visualizing yourself at the finish?

Tunnel vision is very limiting.  If we don’t know where we want to go there’s a good chance we won’t get there.  But even if we do know where we want to go if we’re not looking for it we might miss it.

So look up.   Know where you are.  Watch where you’re going.  Enjoy each step along the way and appreciate it as moving you one step closer to accomplishing your goal. 

If you’re not sure where you’re going, contact me.  My Four Steps to Success process provides an excellent framework to help you accomplish your goals.