When I ran track in school, which seems like a lifetime ago, I was a sprinter. For all of the various sprint events, you trained, ideally, for meticulous positioning, the trigger-fast start, the quick burst, the fast burn. Sprinters refueled so that they could energize for a fast start and quick finish. But in practice, between track meets, even the sprinters had to run the miles (although, now that I think about it, the distance runners didn’t have to sprint. What’s up with that?). Yet the season itself was like a marathon of sprints.

Long-distance running, on the other hand, requires a completely different approach, and that’s magnified for a marathoner. Starting position is important, but not as meticulous and crucial as it is for the sprinter, where one slight slip at the start can cause you to lose the event. Distance runners can be more relaxed at the beginning, because anxiety and tautness (potential fuel for the sprint’s quick burn) can easily be liabilities when the haul is longer. Distance runners pace themselves, starting slowly and not getting anxious if they seem to fall behind, because conserving energy for a sustained run is crucial. They know it’s best not to let insecurity and a need to be "in front" trip them up, burning too early that precious energy that is needed later on.

This metaphor is apt because owning a business, fostering a livelihood, surviving economic downturns, building and sustaining relationships, writing and publishing books, and other longer term commitments, are all more like marathons than they are sprints. All require the perspective of the distance-runner. Although they might require "selective sprints" along the way, the whole effort is one that favors pacing, patience, fortitude, resilience, sustainability and long-view over the short-distance vision and quick-burn.

Whether in creating and sustaining my own enterprise, writing and publishing my book, Big Vision, Small Business; seeding and nurturing relationships; or in looking beyond the current (and ultimately fleeting) economic cycle while doing the day-to-day "little work" that fosters resilience for an enterprise, it’s important to keep in mind that all are marathons, not sprints, and thus require a marathoner's vision and approach.

Food for thought

Where in your own activities do you feel yourself stressing because you’re thinking like a sprinter when in fact you’re running the 4-mile run or a 26-mile marathon and need to think and pace accordingly? Or where are you procrastinating or anxious because you’ve adopted marathon-pace when the near-term project at hand needs the energy boost from a "situational sprint"?

The Ivy Sea Big-Vision Conscious Livelihood kit offers a select collection of exercises and reflections from Ivy Sea's highly regarded Vision Launch Pad workshops created exclusively for Ivy Sea clients. Buy the Vision-Energizing Value Pack, and receive the Vision Clinic Tip Kit as well. You can also purchase each kit separately.