Are You a Tortoise or a Hare?

Remember Aesop’s fable about the race between the tortoise and the hare? More than just a straightforward children’s tale about two mismatched competitors, it touches on several themes that are significant no matter your age:

overconfidence vs. ingenuity

laziness vs. perseverance

bullying vs. resilience

Last week, at a friend’s house, I enjoyed interacting with her pet tortoise and realized that he could get around a lot faster than I expected. He got me to considering what lessons can you take from the tortoise and the hare, both at work and at home.

Accept a challenge. Like the tortoise, be willing to take a chance and reach for your goals. When you believe in yourself, and choose not to worry about what others think, you’re more likely to achieve what you set out to do.

Respect the competition. Acknowledge that others have abilities you might not recognize at first so resist teasing or bragging about your own talents. As the hare learned, being arrogant and contemptuous about your supposed superiority won’t necessarily guarantee success.

Stay on target. When you remain focused on your goal and diligent to accomplish the objectives along the way, you’ll become a finisher. Be consistent about your efforts and work to overcome any obstacles you may face along the way.  

Avoid napping on the job. Refuse to let yourself become distracted from your plan for victory. Don’t take anything for granted or neglect to recognize how you need to perform in order to stay in the game.

Slow and steady wins the race. Your persistence and dedication will pay off as they increase the endurance you’ll be able to generate. As you commit yourself thoroughly to this strategy, the momentum will carry you forward.

Draw on your strength and compensate for any weaknesses as you continue to put one foot in front of the other – and soon you’ll find you’re well on your way to crossing that finish line