You know, a hundred years ago, I was the Scottish national coach. I used to go around the tracks of Scotland, working with coaches.
Every now and again, a little girl from this town or that town would turn up. I’d be working away, and I’d hear a little voice:
“Mr. Dick!”
Well, with a name like mine, you don’t turn around too fast, because you never know what’s going to be said next!
“Mr. Dick! Mr. Dick!”
“Yes?”
“Will you coach me?”
“Well, yes, but not at the moment, because I’m working with these people.”
“Will you coach me later?”
“Yes, fine.”
“When?”
“Look, when I’m finished with them, I’ll come and work with you.”
“Where?”
“Look, sit down in the stands. When I’m finished with them, I promise I’ll come and work with you.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah.”
“Fine. See you!”
The First Race Experience
Now, after I finish working with them, I work with her.
She’s nine years old, and she wants to run the 100 meters. I work with her for a few weeks, and then she goes to her first race.
She lines up with seven other kids.
“On your marks. Set. Bang!”
She runs down the track and hurls herself at the finish line.
Eighth out of eight. In 18 seconds.
She comes back.
“Oh, Mr. Dick, I was last!”
“No, you weren’t last.”
“Yes, I was!”
“You ran 18 seconds!”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve smashed the 20-second barrier! And I had you down for 19 seconds. You’re a whole second faster than that! You know what this means?”
“No.”
“This means it’s your lifetime best performance. Your own personal world record!”
“Really?”
“Yes! In some ways, you’re a first.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the first athlete I’ve ever coached who’s run 18 seconds for the 100 meters!”
Now listen. In a few weeks’ time, she’s got another race.
What does she think winning is now?
If she runs 17.9 seconds, she’ll grab a flag and run around the track!
Because that’s what winning is.
Redefining Winning
Winning is being better today than you were yesterday. Every day.
And if she keeps working at that, in a few weeks’ time she’ll be fighting with the other kids to get to the finish line.
And you might think to yourself, “Well, surely winning now, Frank, is beating them?”
Not if it’s in 19 seconds, it’s not!
Or we’ve killed our definition.
The reason you go into tough arenas in life is to be challenged to perform better.
You cannot perform better if you’re not challenged.
Listen, you don’t learn to climb mountains in life by going around them or asking somebody for a ladder.
You learn to climb mountains by climbing mountains.
By seeking out the really toughest challenges, because that’s what makes you perform better.
And when you keep going at that, one day you’ll be a one and only.
But the truth is…
She always was, is, and will be.