Pace

“Once you’ve committed yourself to something, pace yourself to the finish line. ~ Meb Keflezighi

In April, astronaut Mark Kelly gave an interview about what his time in space had taught him about living through quarantine and stay at home orders. After he talked about the importance of a routine and exercise he said, “The other thing is pace yourself. For me, I think one of the most important things for me getting to the end of that mission in space was, with as much enthusiasm and energy as I had in the beginning, was the appropriate pace. ”

Pace, according to the Cambridge dictionary is the speed at which someone or something moves, or with which something happens or changes.

Matching that speed to the amount of energy we have, and the amount of energy required to accomplish our task or reach our goal requires wisdom, focus and listening to our body. We need a sense of how much energy we are using, how fast we are replenishing it, and how much progress we’re making.

It’s a challenge, especially in times like these when you don’t know exactly where the finish line is. Still, pace gets us through the race. In some races finishing is winning. It is better to cross the line with a little extra in the tank, sprint at the end or pull others across with us. Wisdom, focus and listening help us cross the line and that’s where we want to be.