Kathleen Kaska
It’s
that time of year when thoroughbreds have been running the big races: the Dubai
World Cup, the Arkansas Derby, and, or course, the Triple Crown races. I love
watching the horses run. The jockeys make it look so easy—load the horse in the
gate, take off, run fast and finish—all in about two minutes. I usually pick a
longshot, hoping to watch it blow past the favorite. That rarely happens, but it’s
exciting when it does. What amazes me the most is when one of the favorites
breaks from the gate and the jockey pulls back the reins, instead of
immediately taking the lead. After hanging back, a power-hungry machine of
horse and jockey gain momentum, steadily weaving through the throng. One by one
it passes all the other horses and finishes first right at the finish line.
Over
the years, I’ve realized that winning horse races is not so much the art of
racing as it is the art of pacing. This concept applies to my writing as well.
With writing blog posts, newsletters, social-media promo bites, articles, and
books, sometimes I feel as if I’m racing through my writing life. When that
happens, I remind myself to slow down and set goals, prioritize my projects,
give myself a pat on the back, and like the sharp jockey, hang back a while and
ready myself for the final push. True, I don’t beat other writers to a finish
line, since this race is run by only me. I don’t get a blanket of poses draped
over my shoulders. I don’t get a silver cup for my trophy shelf. And, as of
yet, I haven’t been awarded a gigantic purse. But by pacing, I get the job
done. Afterwards I feel like a winner because I’ve accomplished something I’m
proud of.
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| Me and my hero, Secretariat |
