The Last Home Run

Whenever I set a goal I consider all the obstacles I’ll have to tackle in the way to get there so as to be prepared
for what is to come. I’m a very determined person, maybe even stubborn at times, but if I there is something I
want I won’t stop until I get it. Yet for some reason, after all the sweat and tears, it’s usually when I’m the
closest to reaching my goal that making the effort becomes a struggle. To me, the last home run is always the
most challenging part.

Things are more valuable when we have to work hard to get them. I figure the catch of setting challenging goals
and going for them is that in the end they will also become a representation not only of my effort and
sacrifices, but of what I am capable of doing. I like pushing myself to the limit in every aspect of my life, even
when that brings some discomfort. And that’s probably why I started lifting, because each time I walk into the
gym I know I’ll be leaving as a better version of myself, that I’ll be stronger, but in order to do so I have to
endure some pain. I once read that when it comes to muscle growth, it’s the last three or four repetitions that
make the difference. Those repetitions are the most painful ones, yet they also represent the symbolic area
that divides a champion from someone else. It takes guts to dare step on that area, and I’m not gonna lie, I do
waste a lot of time staring at the bar and the dumbbells and drinking water, as if proper hydration could make
the weights lighter. Yet in the end I remind myself of why I am there; mental toughness has to be exercised as
well. And by looking at myself in the mirror and saying “Yes, you can do this, and you will”, I chose not to allow
momentary pain overshadow my accomplishments.

Yet in some occasions, not even reminding myself of why I am doing what I’m doing works as fuel to keep me
going. Perhaps it’s because in the last stretch the effort is greater since I am already tired, or maybe it’s fear
that holds me back. Getting closer to my goal changes my perspective on the entire race, it reminds me that
after reaching a finish line another race starts, and starting back from zero entails adapting to different
circumstances, learning to handle unexpected difficulties, and familiarizing with new situations. It’s like
learning to crawl again after you’ve already learned to run. If I wasn’t the kind of person who feels comfort
when having everything under control, new beginnings probably wouldn’t seem as scary. After all, I have
already done this before; I’ve set goals in the past and reached them. So is thinking that I might not be able to
do it this time holding me back? And what if I actually fail? That wouldn’t make my efforts less valuable. Yet not
giving it a try would make me a quitter, and I can’t cope with that idea.

Fear and exhaustion are not the only factors that make the last stretch home the most challenging one. We
also have to face the pressure of people having expectations on us, not to mention knowing that if we screw up
all our previous efforts would be going to waste. Although now that I think about it, even in loss there is some
gain, because every experience teaches us something about life and something about ourselves. Maybe the
most rewarding part of the experience is not actually achieving what we set out mind to, but being able to
handle the difficulties we encounter in the process. Perhaps the last effort is a necessary pause to reflect on
everything we have learned, a necessary step to appreciate where we now stand.

Having to make the last home run comprises moving forward, otherwise it wouldn’t mean that there is still a
stretch ahead but a halt. It is the hardest and most challenging part of the process, yet it is also the one puts
into perspective all we can achieve if we set our minds to it. And no matter how difficult it gets, in the end it is
worth it. After all, the fruit always tastes sweeter when it’s the fruit of our own efforts.