Conquering the ‘extra mile’

Quite often, we hear people say, “Participating is more important than winning or losing.” While there is some merit in this statement, in today’s competitive world, winning is everything. When Usain Bolt was winning every race around the world, we hardly cared to find out who finished second each time. In recent years, Neeraj Chopra has experienced similar success. 

In cricket, where there is immense competition for every position, only those who score runs or take wickets consistently are remembered. We dismiss the rest as ‘flashes in the pan’. The same is the case with Novak Djokovic in tennis or Lionel Messi in football. 

But why does that gold medal, or the champion’s tag, come so rarely for us Indians in international competitions, barring cricket to some extent? After all, our leading sports stars get the best of attention from renowned coaches, and they train and compete regularly abroad. Their upkeep is well looked after, including nutrition, physical and mental health, and a fairly generous allowance. But it’s our penchant to quickly attribute reasons – flimsy ones quite often – for missing out on that coveted podium finish every time that prevents us from striving for excellence.

The problem lies in the philosophical approach that we take for almost everything that we do in life. We don’t attempt to go the extra mile that is the toughest to cover in any endeavour. Moderate success satisfies us. It’s that extra mile that makes the difference between a bronze medal and a fourth place, or between gold and silver. Or, between an excellent performance and a mediocre one. 

Our well-known frenzy to go overboard in eulogising the winners leads to overconfidence and complacency – proven recipes for disaster. A former boss of mine would always say, “Congratulations, well done. Celebrate for the next ten minutes and get back to work as if nothing has happened.” Sounds a bit harsh, but that’s what will take us to the pinnacle of success. 

So, to reach greater heights, the culture of celebrating mediocrity must end. Imbibing the ‘killer instinct’ is as important as having an eye for detail, respect for each other, humility and adherence to ethical practices. Not just in sports, but in every walk of life, relentless focus on our objectives and goals and pursuing them with passion and determination are the only ways to succeed. This comes with a lot of sacrifice, though. These are the attributes that have made the difference between a Sachin Tendulkar, a Virat Kohli, or an Abhinav Bindra and all the others in the field. 

Someone once said, “Imagine with all your mind; believe with all your heart; achieve with all your might.” Roland Garros, the French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot whose name adorns the French Open tennis stadium, said, “Victory belongs to the most tenacious.”

So true, because the world remembers and recognises only those who tread the extra mile to achieve glory.