Imagine you’re racing in a running competition. Everyone’s gathered behind the start line. You take position, set, ready—and the gunshot fires. Run!

Energy floods through you, adrenaline pumps, endorphin kicks in. You feel unstoppable. You run strong and for a good distance at first. Then tiredness creeps in. Sweat pours down your face, your breathing grows heavy, your muscles ache. That’s when you start looking around—at your competitors, and then at the finish line that seems barely visible in the distance. There’s still such a long way to go.

At this point, your progress depends more on mental strength than physical. Two things can happen:

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• You fixate on the finish line, see how far it still is, and let the thought sink in: “I’m exhausted already, and there’s so much more to go.” Doubt steals your focus, weakens your energy, and slows you down.
• Or, you stop worrying about the finish line and instead focus on your own actions—steady breathing, moving muscles, proper technique.

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I’ve felt this shift myself. In one race, I kept counting the distance left, and every step grew heavier. But when I stopped measuring how far I had to go and started paying attention to my breathing and the flow of my movement, something changed. My energy held—and I finished with my personal best time. That’s when I thought about how professionals set their mindset, and I realised this is what makes the difference: they focus on the consistent pace.

This is the difference between rookies and pros. Starters obsess over the finish line, constantly thinking about how much is left. They drain their energy and lose focus. Pros, on the other hand, don’t care about the finish line because, for them, there isn’t one. It’s not about reaching an end point—it’s about the steady progress. Instead of looking ahead with dread, they look back and recognise how far they’ve come. They’ve learned to set their breath, move gradually, and stay steady without losing focus.

When have you faced a situation where focusing on your rhythm or process, rather than the finish line, helped you perform better?