Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how we work. Do we work with an end in mind, or are we trapped in the proverbial hamster wheel, always running but not quite sure where we’re going?
I believe bringing a healthy balance to work and life requires a different way of thinking about the work we do.
Marathons vs. Sprints
When you run a sprint, you compress all of your energy into a short interval of time. The end is clear and near. When you reach the finish line, you celebrate. In business, I like to think of short term projects as sprints. Perhaps it’s a product launch, or a new feature update in your software. There is a clear end point, and a fixed deadline for completion. Your team rallies together to meet the goal, and you celebrate a victory when its achieved.
Marathons, on the other hand, are run with an entirely different strategy. You can’t over exert yourself at any one moment, or you’ll never make it. Sure, there’s still a finish line, but its a long way off and it requires a sustained mental and physical effort. In business, running a marathon is comparable to building a long-lasting business that outlives trends and fads.
Without sprints, we rarely celebrate victories. We would never get any rest. But without marathons, we would never accomplish anything that truly matters, such as building a brand you’re proud of or creating a legacy business that leaves generational wealth to your family or charity.
I’ve realized a key to motivating my team and myself is to run sprints in such a way that allows for maximum energy and rest. A successful sprint provides a finish line, a motivating moment to continue the hard work that matters, the marathon.
Your life’s work will be a marathon. But don’t forget to celebrate the sprints along the way. 🙂