Hello everybody it’s Kevin Key and I’m back with another great article. Today I’m going to talk about finishing. A lot of us mean well and start off with a full head of steam, but typically fall short. I often wonder why this is. I mean is it a lack of effort or maybe even something as simple as fear. Either way, it just doesn’t happen. For me, I never had a problem finishing. I was always up for a good race. As I competed, I saw many start and expect to get metals half way through the race. Why would anyone celebrate for a half effort? It seemed like the juvenile days where everyone wanted a metal just for entering.
Of course this is great for self-esteem, but does nothing for reality. In the real world there are clear winners and losers. Even if you don’t start, they still lump you in with the losers because you didn’t try. The fact of the matter is that you can only be measured if you finish. By finishing you gain the understanding of where you place. This is crucial for self-evaluation. I mean how are you to know where you stand unless you have something to compare it to. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you have to measure up to someone else’s idea of what is good, but why not see where you stand.
By knowing where you are, it gives valuable insight as to if you need to keep going or do something else. I’ve known people that thought they were the best of the best, but never left their house. This is what I call the safe bet. It allows you never see or hear criticism. It also allows you to be stagnant. There is no way you can grow without the help of others. I mean how many people will actually be honest with themselves and say that something they did sucks. Let’s be real, it just doesn’t happen. Self-preservation will always kick in with some sort of justification.
I’ll never forget when I started djing in public. I truly thought that I was the man. What I didn’t realize is that I was only the man where I was, which was my room. Once I got into the market, I soon found out that I needed to step it up. Of course, if I never left my room, this realization wouldn’t have happened. After finding out where I really stood, I had a decision to make. I could go back to my room, or I could work harder and prove that I deserved to be there.
That is the golden nugget that most people miss. You have to get to the breaking point to really see where you stand. It is there that you will meet your pivotal moment. I think that it is fear of change that most people have or maybe even fear that they have to do something more. Quite possibly it could even be fear that they have to continue to produce but think that they have nothing left.
I’m not saying that there is something wrong with these feelings at all. Realistically, it is these feelings that make you feel alive. By knowing where you are, you actually see what options lay ahead of you. This is a valuable tool because it can show you if you need to continue to pursue it or do something else. It can show you if you have a realistic opportunity to make a career out of it or just need to enjoy it as a hobby.
If you get anything out of this article, I want you to understand this key point. Time is very important. How much is wasted doing things that yield no fruit. How much time is wasted by repeated starts and stops. If you’re going to put the effort into beginning, at least see it through so you will know if it’s for you or not. Get it completely out of your system. No one wants to look back later in life and have
regrets because they’re still wondering if they could have made it or been something else. That is a regret that very few get to correct.