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The stretch factor: beyond your limits
By Innocent M Gathungu
There comes a time in life when, even after you
have expended all your energies, you are required to go beyond the call of duty
and stretch yourself to limits you never thought you had. I call this the
stretch factor.
Greatness is the stuff of men and women who daily
stretch themselves beyond the capacity of ordinary mortals. These great men and
women have perfected the art of conquering their limitations by refusing to
accept norms and practices that seek to condition them to dogma and traditions.
To attain greatness and success, you need to have
the capacity to think and operate within and outside the box. Beyond being able
to follow laid down procedures, you should also be ready to set new standards,
even when everyone else is satisfied with the status quo.
Great runners know all too well the crucial role
that stretching plays in winning races, especially when the nearest competitor
is only a hair breadth away. To avoid a photo finish duel where the winner has
to be decided by a panel of judges, seasoned runners always find that extra
kick; that extra push beyond their normal ability that propels them into
outright victors. They know the importance of stretching a little more to win a
race.
 Sometimes the distance separating success from
failure is as short as the breadth of a hair strand. It is towards the end, when
success is staring down at you, that the battle intensifies. It is at this time
when the temptation to crumble under pressure is greatest; and it is at this
time that most people give up. Ironically, it is at this time that most
successful people summon all the adrenalin they can muster; stretching
themselves beyond their endurance limits just in time to cross the finishing
line.
Although I do not advocate waiting or
procrastinating just to end up running out of breath at the last minute, there
are instances when, no matter how much you exert yourself, you will be required
to reign in every ounce of strength and will power to succeed.
To break away from the average pack, you need to
have in your arsenal skills and expertise that are unique and far above average.
I highlight below, in no particular order, a few skills, expertise or
dispensations that you will need to adopt and adapt to in order to be a cut
above the rest.
Look for advantage gaps and
opportunities
Sometimes we are so caught up in "busyness" that we fail to notice
advantage gaps and opportunities that would ensure success with less effort. It
is very easy to miss opportunities that present themselves to us when we are so
doggedly and rigidly focused on particular tasks and ways of doing things. I
know I'm treading on thin ice here! Whereas it's good to be unflinchingly fixed
on the tasks that lead us to our goals, we should not be so 'inflexible' that we
fail to notice other ways that could give us an edge over our competitors and
take us to our goals faster. It's all a question of speed, swiftness, and
expediency; and whatever gets us to our goals faster should not be ignored.
Stamina (or staying power)
Sometimes the ability to hold out or outstay the competition is what
separates successful people from failures. Stamina is developed through regular
mental and physical exercises. Train your body, mind and spirit to think and
operate at a level higher than the ordinary. Stamina gives us the strength to
endure to the end. When everyone else is puffing and panting right behind you,
stamina nudges you on and pushes you beyond the finishing line.
Confidence
If you believe you can do it, you can. You must exude confidence in all
you do in order to succeed. Believe in your abilities, skills and expertise. If
you are on the race, then you must have what it takes to come on top. You are
not on the race to lose – you are here to win! And you will – if you believe it.
Beyond having confidence in yourself and your abilities, you need to trust in
God; that even though the going gets tough at times, God can and will always
give you the extra burst of energy to help you past the finishing line.
Knowledge
Do your research before hand; know everything you need to know about your
field; and then some. Study the competition and establish their strengths and
weaknesses. This information will help you to know when to strike and when to
lay off. When you have insider information about your competition, if push comes
to shove, you will know exactly where to hit to get the job done.
Tact and precision
I use tact here to refer to dexterity or skill. You will have to be
skilful in whatever you do in order to succeed. In a race of champions, there is
no room for sloppiness or amateurism. Every step you take must be calculated and
executed with needlepoint precision. Leave no marginal for error, especially
when this margin is all you've got to win the race. At this stage, there is no
room for chance and probability; every move you make must be the right move.
Timing
This is closely tied up with tact. A second too late or too early could
spell doom for you. When it comes to executing the winning formula, timing is
everything. At this point of the race, the stretch factor is so critical that if
you snooze, you loose! Every ounce of your energy you've got, your expertise,
skills and speed have to bear down on exact timing for you to win. This is the
exact point where timing meets preparation; the moment just before execution.
Clinical execution
This is the final part of the stretch factor. Nothing is to be held back
at this point. You can see the 'finish' line now. Summon all your energies
without exception. At this stage you have to be shrewd; nothing and no one
should stop you from touching the finishing line first. You have not come this
far to loose. Give it all you've got. It's now or never!
Stretch, that final burst of energy that is over and beyond your limits, has to
come to your defence now. As exhaustion threatens to bring you down, you realise
you have already won. Success is now yours; and the words "hello Mr President"
now ring very true indeed. |
