I really like the dash metaphor because I believe it's an accurate description of the race of life. There are many people out there who teach that life is marathon and not a sprint. Yet, think about it for a moment. A marathon is nothing but a very long sprint. World class marathoners run at an average speed of about 13 miles per hour. That is about four times the average person's walking speed. Over the course of 26 miles, a top marathoner will average about 5 minutes per mile. That's fast! Most people (myself included) couldn't run one mile in 5 minutes, nevertheless 26 of them in a row.

My point is simply that marathoners are not out for a jog in the park; they are running. In the same way, you and I can't stroll to our goals. We have to sprint towards them. This is the case even when our goals seem miles away.

Think about it from the perspective of running a marathon. The distance to the finish line is set in stone. The only variable is how fast you get there. The faster you run, the less time you spend on the track. Likewise, the slower you run, the more time you will spend running. And remember, time is the one thing that no one has enough of.

I don't know about you but I want to reach my goals as quickly as possible. This is for three reasons. First of all, I want to spend as much time as possible enjoying the fruits of my success. Second, the faster I complete my current goals, the sooner I can get to complete my next set of goals. Finally, I don't know how much time I have left on this planet and I'd hate to die with many of my dreams unfulfilled.

What about you? Would you like to spend the next 20 years working to achieve a goal that could have been completed in 5 years? Think of the extra 15 years that you could have been enjoying yourself or moving on to the next goal had you only run a little faster. And this assumes that you actually live that long, which is by no means guaranteed. You could get hit by bus, become a victim of violent crime or come down with an incurable disease. If you don't believe me, just open up your local newspaper and you'll see dozens of stories about people just like you who had their dashes tragically cut short.

Ready, Set, Dash! (Part II)

Now, please understand that my purpose here is not to depress you, but rather impress upon you the importance of picking up the pace. You don't know how much time you have left, so you must try to reach the finish line as fast as possible. This means that you must run towards your goals as fast as you can.

And please note the emphasis on the word "you." I'm not suggesting that you have to turn in a world class time in your dash. I'm simply suggesting that you shoot for a personal best. Do the best you can and don't get distracted by others. Don't become discouraged because your brother, college roommate or co-worker was able to, say, buy their first home in two years. We're all different.

Likewise, don't get complacent because your circle of friends and family are running slowly (or jogging in place). This is particularly dangerous because we often use the shortcomings of our peers as an excuse for not giving our best efforts. We say things like, "Well, no one else in my family ever graduated from college in four years, so why should I expect to?" or "All of my co-workers are late in turning in their reports, so why should I wear myself out trying to meet the boss' deadline?"

This is the wrong attitude to take. You're not responsible for your family members or co-workers. You're only responsible for how fast you run the race. Therefore, run to the best of your ability.

And finally (and this should go without saying), run the entire race. Some people attempt to get to the finish line faster by taking shortcuts. As you know, I was one of these people. My "shortcut" cost me three years of my life away from my family and loved ones. Don't make this mistake. Run the entire course; even the uphill parts. Sure, it won't always be easy or fun but in the end, you'll finish faster and you'll be much happier with yourself as a result.