Teaching athletes is a lot of fun, if for no other reason, than the unending string of metaphors available to a professor.
Explain to a track star that finishing a semester strong is as important as finishing a sprint with the same or greater effort as at the beginning, and she gets it. Tell a swimmer that his attention to breath and rhythm will serve him in his study habits, and he follows.
Discipline and attention to detail are daily topics for college athletes. Talk to dreamers like me, and we might change the subject mid-sentence - have you ever been to the Himalayas? They're magical!
Whatever excites a person, learning to finish our endeavors in the face of coming transition takes discipline and effort. And even those of us who display these skills in our work or play can have trouble translating the practices to other areas of life.
I have learned a lot about finishing well by watching my partner, Elise. After 13 years of marriage, I can say that she's taught me a ton. But in our life of roaming and chasing new adventures, she has always been good about leaving well.
By that I mean, she gives her best long after many others would, sometimes despite my pleading with her to move on. Loyalty, character, compulsion, whatever people have called it, she doesn't leave a job or a place until she is sure that the work is done or that those coming after her will be okay.
At least two specific things stand out as a transition approaches: 1) she does what she's said she'll do with the quality people have come to expect, and 2) she preserves the possibility for relationship.
If you've ever worked with or gotten to know Elise you'll know her attention to detail, ability to deliver beyond expectations, and to accomplish all of it ahead of schedule is as consistent as it is impressive. And if she's ever had to move on from your organization, you know that she's delivered that quality and performance to the last day.
Not only that, when she has to leave, she leaves on great terms relationally. Former employers and coworkers are effusive with their praise and recommendations. This is directly related to the empathetic, collaborative, and reliable character she displays from day one to the last. She doesn't burn bridges, even when they might deserve to be burned.
Whatever our endeavor, learning to finish well is a challenge for everyone in some part of their life. It's worth while to pause and think of those in our lives who do it well.
Who have you seen finish well?