Closing the 18-Inch Gap Podcast-EP022: Lessons on Why the Tortoise will Always Win

Closing The 18 Inch Gap Podcast

Today I want to talk about what I learned from watching the story of the tortoise and the hare. It had been in my mind for quite some time just would not let me go so I jumped on YouTube and looked up the video. As childish as it may seem I learned an incredibly important lesson from it. I looked for what I believe is the original video from 1935 of the story from Disney. I included in the show notes if you want to look at it. But today we’re going to look at lessons I’ve learned from that video and why the tortoise, in other words the slow grinding pace, will always far exceed the fast pace of the hare. More than ever, we need to slow down. In last week’s episode I spoke of resetting in a podcast titled ready, reset, grow! I invite you to listen to that previous episode if you haven’t yet.

Quote of the week.

“Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”

― Plato

Lessons from the Hare’s Loss:

1. Overconfidence Can Be Detrimental: Arrogance and underestimating the competition can lead to failure.
2. Consistency Beats Speed: Rapid bursts of effort are not sustainable without consistent follow-through.
3. Underestimating Others: Assuming others are incapable can lead to complacency.
4. Value of Task Management vs. Time Management: Managing tasks wisely prevents unnecessary delays. WE all have the same exact amount of time.
5. Ego as an Obstacle: Ego can cloud judgment and hinder performance.“It’s better to go slow in the right direction to go fast in the wrong direction” Simon Sinek

6. Importance of a Good Start: Starting strong can set a positive tone but must be maintained.Mental Endurance: Sustaining mental effort is crucial for long-term success.

7. Pacing Oneself: Efficient pacing is key to maintaining momentum.
8. Avoiding Distractions: Staying focused on the goal is crucial. This is the Biggest take away I got form the video so far.

Lessons from the Tortoise’s Win:

1. Belief in Oneself: Confidence in one’s abilities is crucial.
2. Importance of Patience: Patience leads to steady progress.
3. Setting Realistic Goals: Achievable goals lead to success.
4. Staying the Course with a Strategic Approach: Committed effort brings long-term results and a well-thought-out strategy leads to success.
5. Avoiding Comparisons: Focus on personal progress rather than comparing with others.
6. Taking One Step at a Time: Small, consistent steps lead to big achievements. It also leads to the Value of Incremental Progress: Small gains accumulate over time
7. Building Momentum: Consistent effort builds momentum over time.
8. Overcoming Self-Doubt: Belief in oneself helps overcome challenges.
9. Staying Motivated: Continuous motivation is necessary for long-term goals.
10. Commitment to Goals: Commitment is crucial for achieving goals.

And ONE BIG FINAL Lesson from this story:

1. Trusting the Process: Have faith in your efforts and the journey.

Link to video in YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DrKmpuKhKE

My book: Closing the 18-Inch Gap