You are Closer to Success Than You Think: The Power of Small Margins

Do these names ring a bell? Nesta Carter, Walter Dix, Churandy Martina, Michael Frater, Daniel Bailey, Kim Collins, Travis Padgett, Darvis Patton, James Dasaolu, and Su Bingtian. If they don’t, you’re not alone. But chances are, you know Usain Bolt.

These first ten athletes are elite male sprinters who competed in the 100m during Usain Bolt’s active career. The astonishing fact? The time difference between them and Bolt is less than half a second. Think about that—a mere 0.5 seconds separating a lasting legacy etched in the annals of human history from those who came close but did not quite reach that pinnacle.

Granted, all of these sprinters enjoyed successful and fulfilling careers. Yet, 0.5 seconds was the gap between them and Bolt’s unparalleled greatness. Life often hinges on such narrow margins. This is true across nearly all sports. For example, in the 22 FIFA World Cup finals from 1930 to 2022, the average goal differential was just one goal—meaning a single goal could determine victory or defeat.

From these examples, we can draw several important lessons:

1. You are closer than you think. Success in your field is not miles away or unattainable. It’s within reach. Diligence, determination, hard work, and skill development are the essential ingredients that bridge the gap.

2. Every step and decision matters. Like in a gripping crime thriller where the identity of the culprit is revealed only at the end, every small clue and action leads to the final outcome. Your choices—no matter how small—accumulate to shape your destiny.

3. How you spend your time matters. Time is our most precious resource. If excellence is measured in seconds, how many of those seconds are you investing wisely? How many are slipping away wasted?

4. Keep striving to improve. No one becomes the next Usain Bolt overnight. Every victory often follows setbacks, losses, and frustrations. Resilience—the ability to bounce back—is one of life’s most valuable skills. Don’t give up.

5. Focus on your own race. The only way to win is to concentrate on your goals, your task, your journey. Avoid getting distracted by comparisons or competing with others. The top runners mentioned could have succeeded in other sports—hockey, soccer, swimming—but they chose to focus on sprinting, and that focus propelled their success.

Success is often just a fraction of a second away. From elite sprinters to world champions, the difference between greatness and good is smaller than you think. Every choice, every second counts. Ready to focus, push through, and run your own race? #AbsoluteOwnership #WealthyAndChristian #MindsetMatters #StayFocused #ChaseGreatness

Comment, like, share and be a blessing to others.