You Can't Skip the Hard Part and Call It a Win

They moved the finish line and called it progress. Don't fall for it.

The Los Angeles Marathon just added a rule that I can't stop thinking about — and not in a good way.

At mile 18, runners could take a different exit and receive the exact same medal as everyone who finished 26.2.

In episode #1484, I break down why that decision is bigger than a marathon — it's a mirror of exactly what's happening in life. Skipping the hard part doesn't get you the reward. It robs you of the growth that only lives between mile 19 and the finish line.

I've been to mile 19. I know what's waiting on the other side. And I know what it costs you when you don't go there.

Hit play. Run your full race.

Who This Episode Is For If you've been looking for an easier route to a goal that requires the hard one — this one's for you.

Key Takeaways

• Moving the goalposts doesn't make you a finisher — it makes you someone who skipped the hardest part
• Mile 19 is where growth actually lives — avoiding it means avoiding the version of yourself waiting on the other side
• Shortcuts don't just cheat the result, they quietly erode your integrity and your belief in yourself
• The things you sacrifice for, hurt for, and push through define you — the easy wins don't
• Eventually, skipping steps catches up to you. Life exposes people who never ran the full race.

Questions for Reflection

• Where in your life are you accepting a participation medal instead of pushing to the real finish line?
• What hard part are you currently trying to skip — and what growth are you leaving behind by doing so?
• If you're honest with yourself, which of your recent wins did you actually earn in full?

Action Steps

1. Identify one goal where you've quietly moved the finish line closer to make it easier. Reset it to where it was supposed to be.
2. The next time you hit your version of mile 19 — the wall, the resistance, the point where quitting feels reasonable — write down what pushing through would mean for who you become.
3. Commit to one race, one goal, one challenge right now where you refuse to take the early exit no matter what.

Featured Quote "It's the ones you had to sacrifice for, hurt for, and push through that make you legendary — not the short ones."