It was a cold and damp morning as Florence Chadwick set out to be the first woman to swim the channel between Catalina Island and the coast of California. An accomplished ocean swimmer she had trained daily for a number of years to prepare herself for this test.

Bravely she swam through the ocean – stroke by stroke. As the pain in her arms, legs, and chest grew she was filled with self-doubt. As the cramps set in she began to convince herself she could go no further and although her coaches and supporters cheered her on, clapped their hands and shouted words of encouragement, she finally gave up. Tears streaming down her face, she was hauled into the spotter’s boat.

A few minutes later, the real pain hit as she realized that one more mile of swimming would have completed the goal. After so many hours in the water, she fell short by such a tiny margin because the coastline was fogged in. Not able to see her goal, she had given up hope of achieving.

That’s how everyone feels in the pursuit of a worthy goal, but we’ve got to keep our eyes on prize. When fears or frustrations arise with listings we can’t seem to move, transactions that fall apart, or buyers that abandon us, it can seem hopeless unless we stay focused on our goals.

If and when we falter, we’ll do exactly what Florence did because, just two months later, she completed that challenging swim. She never lost sight of the prize by keeping a picture of the shoreline in her mind as she swam.

It’s a good life!

Brian