This morning I was watching my 6 year-old nephew’s baseball game. One of his teammates hit the ball and started for first base. His first base coach was yelling for him to run and then yelled, “Don’t look around. Run for the base!” I had already been mulling over the idea of focusing on the goal, when this perfect example appeared right before me amongst a game of first graders.

As the youngster started to look around, there was a moment of hesitancy that allowed the ball to reach first base ahead of him. In this particular game, he wasn’t out as the rules are modified for the younger kids. However, have you ever seen this a track and field event, where even a split second can cause an opponent to blow past and win.

Well it’s the same when we go for our dreams. If we look around too much, if we compare ourselves to others, it can cause hesitancy within us. Questions and comparisons can arise like: “What was I thinking” or “Who am I to do this” or “It’s already been done” or “Wow, look how successful they are. I can’t do that.”

This entry is a reminder for me to run my own race, don’t look to the left or right, just run full steam ahead. I can get distracted by looking around and need to stay focused, as I’ve written before My race is steady and sure, as long as I don’t try to compete or compare with anyone else.

One of the other lessons the coaches at my nephew’s game were teaching the children was to run through the base. Don’t just barely tap the base but run full steam ahead all the way through the base. Another great lesson for goal setting. Have you ever reached a goal and you just limped in? The goal took every ounce of energy just to barely make it? Well I have. Now, with that image of those coaches on the field screaming to the little ones to run through the base, I can look at my dreams and goals and set an intention to run through achieving them, full speed, to tag the dream, and go for more.