Transitions matter. If you’ve lived long, you know. Life changes. People change. Batons get dropped. And sometimes the baton gets passed along but there are other issues.

If you follow track and field much, you know. In the 2023 World Championships, the women’s 4×400 relay team finished second by time, but they didn’t get a silver medal. They were disqualified. They messed up a baton pass. The transition took too long. By the time the receiving runner had the baton on her own, she had passed the allowed zone. The team still crossed the finish line. They finished in a medal position. But instead of a “2” by their names, there are letters “DQ” in the history books.

There’s no shame in their finish. Each woman on the team is an amazing athlete. Each woman has run phenomenal races, individual and relays, throughout their careers. This was one race. They knew the rules. They knew it’s not just getting to the finish line but what happens between start and finish that matters. They diligently train so their default is to transition well. They have drilled what should happen so many times, it almost comes naturally. But every race is different—the people, the places, the specifics. Even with the best training, the best preparation won’t hold up to the challenge. That’s no reason to not do their best to prepare.

There’s no reason for us to not do our best to prepare. Yet I see it often—people and teams transitioning poorly. Repeatedly. People and teams who prepare well typically also reflect well. They don’t like when their practice doesn’t get the results they intended, so they evaluate just long enough to learn from the mistakes and move forward. They don’t dwell too long, nor do they dismiss or minimize what happened. People and teams who don’t prepare well typically don’t reflect well. When they don’t get the results they intended, they look for someone to blame. They excuse their own mistakes, because they aren’t willing to see them. Their responses are often full of pride, power, posturing—and usually obvious to just about everyone except themselves. The goal is the finish line, and the process and practice of getting there isn’t a priority. “Rules? What rules?! We don’t have time for rules. We’re going places, and if you don’t like it, don’t run with us.” “Train? We don’t have time to train. This is a race, and we’re going to get there as fast as we can. Want to talk about preparation and process? There’s no time to waste on that!”

Which approach do you take? Does it differ based on your comfort? Where do you cut corners? What do you justify or excuse? How are you preparing, and how are you performing? It’s important to know, but you have to be willing to pause long enough to authentically reflect. You have to be willing to be courageous enough to change. You have to be willing to boldly run, effectively transition, and learn when you misstep.

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