Is This Story Really About A Foot Race or is it something deeper?

 I'd heard the story of the tortoise and the hare many times. And I always thought the race was between the two polar-opposite critters. But...

what if it isn't?

What if the story is really a tale of procrastination? The hare had speed and the ability to finish the race in no time at all. Yet he didn't. He found other things to do. Taking a nap for one thing.

But the hero of the story, the tortoise, didn't break his speed-of-cold-molasses-running-uphill stride. He didn't take a nap. He didn't stop to eat. He had his eyes on the goal and kept going. Painstakingly slow, but he did it despite how bad the odds were against him from the start.

I never saw myself as an hare until lately. I have the means. The ability. And yet I still allow myself to put things--important things--on the back burner and instead focus on mundane, non-productive things. 

I admired the tortoise's tenacity and determination, but I never considered that it was his slow but consistent pace helped him reach the finish line. He wasn't focused on what the hare could do. He wanted to win and he kept moving forward. He also had a winner's attitude.

Anyone who wants a winner attitude can do two things: 1. focus on the goal and 2. create those little, barely noticeable habits that push you forward.

You can find out more about beating procrastination and building habits in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. You can also watch him on YouTube. He's very inspiring.