Eye on the Prize
Success isn’t about early celebrations—it’s about finishing strong; this article explores why keeping your eyes on the prize is the key to long-term wins in business and life.
Don’t Celebrate Too Early
Growing up playing youth sports, I was taught a simple but crucial lesson: don’t celebrate a goal until it actually goes in. It sounds obvious, but I’ll admit—more than once, I’ve mentally scored before the ball crossed the line, only to watch it get blocked and suddenly find myself scrambling to play defense.
Watching the Paris Olympics has been a great reminder that this isn’t just a lesson for kids—it applies at the highest levels of competition.
Take the case of Spanish race-walker Laura García-Caro. Competing in a 20km Olympic qualifier, García-Caro was closing in on third place, with just meters to go. Feeling confident in her finish, she threw a fist in the air and smiled—a moment of celebration before actually crossing the line.
But there was one problem.
Behind her, Ukrainian competitor Lyudmila Olyanovsk was still grinding. In that split second of lost focus, Olyanovsk surged ahead and stole third place, leaving García-Caro in shock.
As one social media commentator put it:
"Imagine speed walking for hours and then losing at the end because you wanted to celebrate."
The Business Parallel: Never Let Up
I’ve learned that the same principle applies in business.
At any given moment, things might be going well—a deal closes, an investment performs, a strategy pays off. But getting too comfortable, too early, is dangerous.
- There’s always someone right behind you, grinding away your edge.
- There’s always another challenge around the corner.
- The finish line isn’t when things look good—it’s when the work is done.
At Sum Capital, one of my core values is to Play the Long Game. That means celebrating small wins is fine, but not at the expense of focus and execution.
Because whether in sports, investing, or business, the game isn’t over until you’ve truly crossed the finish line.
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