Finishing the Race, the Finish Banner and the Post It Was Attached To

But how about exiting? Isn’t that the last thing your audience will see? Doesn’t it make more sense to focus on your last impression? So what if you’ve entered the room in your bespoke suit talking about a multi-million dollar transaction, if you left with gravy on your shirt and drunk as a sailor? Had you done things the other way around, now that would have been something spectacular.

This rule can best be observed in sports. It’s all about what happens at the finish line. It doesn’t matter if you’ve jumped first off the block starts or if you’ve led the whole race - what matters is that you don’t trip and fall over five yards ahead of the finish line, and manage to cross it first.

We have no idea the position this fellow in the clip below came in, or if it was even a real competition, but you can be sure he was the one everyone talked about when they got home that evening. “So, who won?” “Who cares? You should have seen that guy who finished the race with a front-flip while also taking down the finish line banner and the post it was tied to. Oh, and I won.”

Sometimes, putting on a show is more important than finishing first. Sure, if there was some sort of prize money or if there were some points to be had that would later add up to a championship table, then yes, this guy’s little tumble was for nothing. But sometimes, making the people cheer in excitement, even those who don’t really support you, that’s what really matters. Of course, if you’re really crap at said sport and it’s your only source of income, planning for your retirement fund might be a good idea.