I'm sharing Part 4, and the final two prerace "Startups are Ultramarathons: Lessons from the Trail" leading up to the 2021 Western States 100 ultramarathon.

I'll get to the fullon race report in a series of future posts... If you've missed the previous three segments, you can find them here on LinkedIn or the Startup Selling Podcast.

#7: Incrementalism

To do hard things, to do what others, and yourself might feel is impossible, the leap from here to there is too big. Sure, you started your company with a big vision, your sights set on the impact you want to make in your market, for your customers. As Bill Gates famously said –

"Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

If you focus on the giant leap from where you are today, to where you want to go, you can end up feeling overwhelmed, and stuck running through endless "what ifs..." and crippled by inaction. Instead, you've got to focus on wins and learnings.

Every experience is an opportunity to win or learn – to build the foundation to the Big Future that you see.

#8: The Journey is the Joy

Remember, you chose this. The struggle is guaranteed; success is not. The ups and downs are part of the way – you HAVE to have downs – that's part of doing hard things.

A couple years ago, when I was frustrated with a few things in my business, my wife told me – "You have hard problems because they're the only ones left – you've solved all the easy ones already."

Remember to take time to detach and reset. Remember that you're out there, every day, doing hard things. Celebrate the wins, and be thankful.

Besides, you could always go back to your day job...

#GoFarther