Whiteboard Wise Words – Are You A Finisher?

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finisher = Adjective: a person or thing that finishes or completes something

One of the greatest labels you can receive in sports is to be called a “finisher” or a “closer.”  To be a finisher means that you are able to lead your team to victory by finishing off the other team with the final basket, final out, or final play that ends the game.

When it comes to finishing a game, your performance prior to the final plays doesn’t mean as much.  If you play great throughout the game, but fail to close out the game then you are judged negatively by those final plays.  (see LeBron James NBA All-Star Game peformance when he passed up the last shot…twice).  If you play terrible, but find a way to comeback, find a way to finish the game and lead your team to victory, then that is what is most remembered and you are celebrated for it.

(UPDATE: This section was updated less than 48 hours after this was originally posted.  –> McDonald’s High School All-American Gary Harris shows you what finisher’s do, when he scores 35 points, 31 in the 2nd half, to lead his #1 ranked team to victory against the #3 ranked team in the Indiana High School basketball tourney.  Check out how he finished in the video below…AMAZING!)

One of my goals this year is to be a better finisher.  To be intentional about starting something and carrying it all the way out, finishing better than I started.  Once the excitement wears off, when the challenges come, and when I just get plain tired, I want to press through it all and finish with my best.

My challenge to you is to do the same.  Become a better finisher.  Leave nothing undone.  Complete what you started.  Every one of us can be a finisher, every one of us has a closer in them.  We just have to take a shot.

Question: Do you have any success stories on finishing strong?

Feb 27, 2012