In every creative endeavor there is moment just before the victorious culmination where you are called to rise up out of the old state and into the new state. It is the moment, you could say, where you finally release all disbelief that the new state is actually achievable.
The niggling doubts that we as human beings are so keen to hold on to may be healthy in the sense that anything could go wrong even seconds before the goal is achieved, but weighting them overly causes unnecessary drag on movement toward the goal at hand, drag that can in and of itself be an impediment to victory. Herein lies the difference between the traditional skeptic and the honest skeptic: the former is convinced that victory is impossible while the latter leaves room for the possibility of another detour or obstacle while keeping his head high and his eye trained on the steps just beyond the finish line.
You must be careful not to rush matters at this point in the process, for pressing ahead of the natural cycle of fulfillment can also foil the best laid plans. When victory is in sight, keep your wits about you and take care not to get caught up in the heat of the moment. Think of the cartoon runner who is neck-to-neck at the finish line and dives prematurely to beat his opponent, only to slide to an ignominious halt just inches before the finish line. There will inevitably be a natural lift in the final stages that will move you more quickly to your goal but manage it wisely, for perfection cannot be rushed.
That’s not to say that you don’t have to put and keep the coals on occasionally. Slow and steady does not necessarily always win the race. I believe that it is more important to live with wisdom, with a sensitivity to the background timing and impulses in any creative outworking, whether it be an important debate or a complex project at work, than it is to try to stuff life into a collection of idioms and inflexible opinions. When you make room for the natural and invisible impulses contained in the flow of life, something magical begins to happen: you move from glory unto glory no matter what challenges you might face from day to day.
The next time you have a finish line in sight remember these words. Don’t rush. Relinquish doubt. Focus your energy in relation to the goal. Just as the seconds before touchdown on a 10 mile long instrument approach in an airplane are the most critical, so too are the final moments before you move through to victory in any activity you undertake. The tolerances tighten. Wiggle room decreases. The margin for error constrains to zero.
Don’t tense up! For this it the perfect time to relax more deeply into the conviction within you that victory is at hand!
Gregory Hake 
Awesome image!
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I liked it too…
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If we are afraid of failing then we likely will. Fear attaches us to all the things conspiring against success. Sounds like an avoidable drag to me. So a big YES to releasing all those attachments based in fear … beware, they are lurking everywhere ready to cloak sure possibility in the in the well worn conviction that “this is an impossibility”. How exciting to open up our channels of belief and see the amazing backing and creativity that gets us over the finish line. Great post!!
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The end of a cycle of achievement is when you have the most invested as well, so that is another reason why there is a tendency to rush or force things. Yet there is a certain point where you have to let go of all skepticism, honest or not, because the thing you have been working for is actually happening. If you do not end disbelief after the thing has come about, you have become a dishonest skeptic.
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Every investment involves risk…even US Treasuries! The point of greatest investment also feels like (and may be) the point of greatest risk. Definitely not a good time to panic!
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Great post! Thanks.
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You’re welcome!
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Great picture…there sure are better ways to arrive at the finish line! Thanks for the post
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Oh how fools rush in where angels fear to tread! Sensitivity in function to where you are in relation to your goal marks your progress, that should be clear as a starting point. Exaggerated fears, lack of confidence, biased perspective all further can cloak one with a shroud of disbelief that self limits the attainment of the higher goal. It mutes the necessary relaxation of the mind that simply must be to overcome the disbelief that has not proven itself to be an undisputed reality. There is no evidence for that state of disbelief to be sustained, and if anything, the evidence points to the contrary. You have been prepared, you have the capacity and capability, so all the lights have turned green.
I like your admonition to focus on the goal when this juncture arrives. It keeps the mind off of these distractions and keeps the energy focus sharp and steadily aimed. Good food for thought!
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Disbelief in this sense benumbs the human spirit and dims prospects for the future. Thanks for your comment, Ricardo!
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This is such great timing. I’m working on several projects now and I really appreciated your insights into having patience and wisdom at critical points in the process. Great post, thanks!
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There are so many layers to both belief and disbelief, and often the pressure of moving into truly new territory galvanizes unexpected reactions. What we actually believe and what we imagine we believe can be very different, but either way that pattern of actual belief constitutes the basis and the direction for our lives. When pressure points bring the reality to the surface, then, it can be a real advantage even if it is uncomfortable or surprising.
In order to be alert and nimble in the way you outline here, we must have the courage and honesty to look at what we believe and to let upgrades come graciously. Chronic disbelief is a certain harbinger of failure, because it doesn’t allow for any starting point beyond those that have already proven themsleves as failures. There is, of course, room for healthy skepticism, but there is also a time for commitment to something as yet unproven but backed by clear principle and,sometimes, an unmistakable gut sense that something is right and possible even when it may look very much otherwise! I think history would bear out the recognition that many of the greatest achievements have come from just such a starting point!
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This is an interesting point for all types of endeavors. It reminds me of a particular juncture when raising teenagers, they are becoming very self sufficient and just about ready to leave home for collage or what ever direction they’ve chosen, many parents will all of a sudden take their hands completely off the guidance wheel. It’s like one day they are assisting them and the next they have no idea as to what the young person is doing. I’ve noted this on many occasions. The teen is on their way to making sound decisions but is now at the stage where many of the possible mistakes can change the entire course of their future. It’s like the parent disengages just before the teen can take the wheel themselves.
This zero hour in all ventures is not the time to relinquish the attention that brought you this close to achievement. It’s not the time to wholly move your focus to the next project. It is an important part of what we discussed yesterday about follow up.
I really appreciate looking at some of the less obvious aspects of moving onward and upward, this is helpful, thanks.
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This is one of our greatest responsibilities and biggest challenge. The pressure is the greatest right before real change can occur. Perhaps this post and the readers perspectives will help us stay conscious of holding our course through to victory! Our children and our future depend on this! Thanks for your comment.
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