The last mile. The final hurdle. The last lap. The final chapter. Whatever comparison you want to make, there is a definite feeling of being almost there as I start the countdown on the last 100 posts of this leap year’s daily lessons learned.
I shared in an earlier post in July about the value of counting down to a goal rather than counting up to it. That was in the context of running and making that next leg of a race seem shorter by counting down what little remains. Now that I’m in the final 100 days of the year, the countdown helps convince me that I will reach the goal of 366 lessons learned. There is something about that countdown from 100 that makes it finally seem real.
I’m sure I’ll have much more to say at the end of the year as I reflect on the whole experience. At this juncture, one of the major takeaways is the knowledge that I can take on a significant goal that requires something from me daily for a year, and then do it. Of course, I could have some illness or accident tomorrow that keeps me from completing the journey, but I’ll hope neither of those occur.
To come back to the running comparison, when I first started running about a decade ago, I was out of breath before going half a mile. As time went on and I trained more, I eventually was able to do a few half-marathons and even longer personal runs for fun. In a way, these posts are just smaller laps of a longer race, the end of which is in sight.
It is tempting sometimes to give up on things, especially those that bring little value. The good thing about this experience for me is that the value is intrinsic. If I want to learn from daily reflection, then I’ll keep going. To stop before December 31 would be to choose to stop learning, and that is unthinkable.
To the few who are following along with me, I thank you. Your presence makes a difference in my motivation to continue.
Leap year lesson #267 is When the end is in sight, don’t stop.
Next Practices 