Motivation is a Marathon, Not a Sprint.

Motivation is a marathon, not a sprint. A fact I’ve always known but was (painfully) reminded of at our latest trade show, NATCON. While it was truly an impressive show and we had a great experience, both as exhibitors and attendees, it takes a lot of motivation to complete.

Prep
The preparation before all shows are intense, its like the gun firing at the start of the race and everyone takes off. There are hurdles of  course, like making sure your booth arrives to the advanced warehouse in time, or making sure you are registered for the sessions you just have to see. Once you’re over the first hurdle the rest fall into place like dominos. Most of the time, at least.

Pace yourself
Staying motivated at the show is a mini-marathon. You can’t burn through all your motivation and energy during the first day or you’re going to be exhausted and dragging for days to follow. You’ll probably be exhausted no matter what you do, but if you pace yourself you will have better odds of achieving what you set out to do.

Follow through
The true test of motivation comes at the end. Its the “kick” at the end of the race. Your last burst of energy to make sure you’re the one that snaps the tape. It’s the follow through, and the follow up. Because all the prep work and pacing in the world won’t save you if you don’t contact the people you met at the show, or take the things you learned back to your team, or implement that new policy, or look into that new EMR system, or contact us, the amazing branding firm! (Sorry, I had to do it.) Endurance through the final steps makes all the difference.

Truth be told, NATCON and the other shows we will be attending this year (NAATP, State of Recovery, NCAD and Moments of Change), motivate us. They give us energy and get our blood pumping. They keep us on track toward meeting our goal: to help organizations that help people by building healthy brands.