Don't Quit Before Crossing That Line!

Don’t Quit Before Crossing That Line!

The athlete who thinks everything is over when he sees the finish line encounters an unexpected surprise.

There are moments in life where the moment you think you’ve won is also the moment you lose the most. In a short but intense video, one of the runners raises his arms metres away from the finish line and begins celebrating his victory. But that is not victory for him, but shock. For his other rival at his rear sprints past him at the last moment and wins the race.

It’s not just a competition we watch. It’s really something we all go through the feeling of that competitor. Because we all have those moments in our lives where we “think it’s over but it’s not”. You think you’ve done it; you shout, it’s done; you gasp with “oh”. Then. life teaches you a lesson: You haven’t crossed that line yet. That’s exactly why this video is not merely a race. This video is a metaphor. This video demonstrates how imperative mental toughness, goal commitment and inner discipline are.

The Goal-Gradient Fallacy

There is an effect in psychology known as the “goal-gradient effect”. Clark Hull formulated the Goal Gradient Effect in 1932. It states that “the closer you get to the prize, the faster you get.” “Goal gradients” originate from the field of behavioral psychology and explain an effect whereby the closer one approaches a goal, the more they will strive.

But occasionally that catches up with us. When the mind notices that the target is in sight, it slows down. It thinks, “I’ve already accomplished it.” And the tempo falls. Ironically, the spot where we are closest to the finish line is the spot where we need to be most alert. Because there lies complacency. We observe that not only in sports but throughout life. The student who stops studying for their last exam. The employee who stops working on a project the day before the deadline. The person who stops caring about a relationship by saying, “I’ve already won.” They all fall into the same mistake: Thinking it’s over when it’s not.

Run After the Line Too!

There is a coaching method we call the “One More Step Rule.” To acquire the habit of finishing, we apply the following discipline: Keep going once you cross your goal line. This straightforward but effective strategy makes it easier to continue without putting on the mental brakes.

If today you’re on the verge of something being accomplished… If you’re “nearly there” with something… If you feel like it will be done if you can say “just a little more”… Then remind yourself of this sentence: “Don’t quit before you cross that line!”

Only when you know that you’ve passed that mark… Yes, that’s when you raise your arms. Then you deserve that victory. Because you finished. Because you completed. Because you reached the end with inner force. And that’s why… You are a champion.