The Finish Line is a Lie

Graduation isn’t the end. Crossing a finish line isn’t the end.

Yes, both are significant but they’re both just the beginning. Because the real journey starts after the celebration ends.

For most of us, life is a series of “finish lines.”

We go to school, study hard, and graduate. We get a job, work hard, and retire. We sign up for a marathon, train for months, and cross the finish line. Each one giving us the belief that we arrived or are finished.

But here’s the truth that no one talks about…

The diploma isn’t the destination.

The finish line isn’t the finale.

They’re starting points!

When I crossed the finish line of my first marathon (just 346 days after receiving a kidney transplant) I felt proud, exhausted, and overwhelmed. But the most powerful emotion I felt wasn’t victory… It was clarity.

I realized I didn’t go through all that training just to finish a race. I did it to become someone new. And that version of me had only just begun.

Key Points

1. Every Finish Line Is a Launch Pad

Graduation, job promotions, completing a race: these aren’t ends. They’re earned new beginnings. Crossing the line means you now have the tools, the knowledge, and the experience to start playing on a bigger field.

2. Training > Event

The real growth doesn’t happen on race day. It happens in the miles and effort no one sees. The same way the value of school isn’t just the degree, it’s the discipline, effort, and mindset you gain through the journey.

3. Evolve, Don’t Expire

Too many people “graduate” from school, a goal, or a milestone and stop growing. But purpose doesn’t retire. It expands. Use what you’ve built to build what’s next.

4. Who You Become Is the Point

The reward for finishing isn’t just the medal or certificate, no, it’s the identity you forged in the process. That identity is now the foundation for your next chapter.

What “finish line” have you been sitting at?
Are you holding on to an old version of you, thinking that goal was the peak?

It wasn’t. It was the training ground for something more. Don’t stop now.

Take your tools. Take your growth. Take your story.
Now go build the next mountain worth climbing.

The Joy of Writing My Book

Did you ever groan when the English teacher assigned a five-page paper on some random topic? Same here.

I was the classic math-and-science kid and writing essays felt torturous. The only part of English class I actually liked was diagramming sentences because it felt logical like solving a puzzle.

The funny thing is, even though I dreaded English assignments, I secretly dreamed of writing fiction novels. I’ve always been hooked on detective stories where the hero chases down serial killers and solves murders. Those books grabbed me from page one and wouldn’t let go.

In my spare time, I actually liked writing but only when it was poetry or short stories, where I could unleash my imagination. Research papers? Forget it. They felt like too restrictive and prescriptive, all rules and no creativity. Creative writing, though? That was where I found freedom.

It wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I finally got excited about a writing assignment. My English professor told us to pick a song that meant something to us and write about why. BINGO! I could talk for days about music and how it shapes my life.

Naturally, I chose a Pearl Jam song, which won’t shock anyone who knows me. As I wrote, it felt like the words were pouring out on their own. It was one of those moments where time disappears, and I was in the flow.

When I got my paper back, it was an A+ with two paragraphs of comments from my professor saying how moved she was by my passion and honesty.

But it would be more than twenty years before I felt that same kind of energy again.

It happened right after I ran my first marathon just 346 days after my kidney transplant. I knew I wanted to share my story and inspire others, but I wasn’t sure how. So, during some holiday time off work, I sat down at my computer and started typing.

At first, it was painfully slow because I kept trying to make it perfect. Eventually, I decided to let go of writing the “perfect” essay and just write.

Ten days later, I had a rough manuscript for a book. Two weeks after that, I’d cleaned it up enough to send it off for editing.

Little did I know that writing a book was the easy part. Getting it onto shelves? That’s a whole different beast. I’ll have to save that for another blog post.

Here’s what I’ve learned about writing:

Writing my book felt so effortless at times because, in many ways, it had been 47 years in the making. Every experience, every setback, every victory, every lesson I’d collected over nearly five decades poured into those pages. The words flowed because they were simply waiting for me to finally give them a place to live.

Here’s what I take away from that experience:

Sometimes the thing we’re meant to create is already inside us, waiting patiently for the right moment and the right version of ourselves to bring it into the world. Don’t let your doubts, your fear of imperfection, or the enormity of the process hold you back. Whether it’s writing a book, starting a business, launching a podcast, or chasing a new goal, you don’t have to have it all figured out.

Like most of my messages, it takes action. So, start writing, start building, and start creating. The clarity and momentum come through the act of doing.

Call to action:

Have you ever felt like there’s a story, a message, or a mission inside you waiting to get out? What’s the “book” you’ve been waiting to write: literally or figuratively? I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a comment below or send me a message. Let’s remind each other that our stories are worth sharing and that it’s never too late to start.

Setting Goals and Achieving Dreams

How many of you make New Year’s resolutions? Or set performance goals at the start of each year at work? How many of you start off strong, only for the enthusiasm to wane after a couple of weeks?

Motivation is often temporary and without purpose, most of our goals drift into the ether.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results. So why then, do we make resolutions each year? False promises of a new diet, going to the gym, or quitting a bad habit like drinking or smoking.

Why? Because simply writing down a goal is not enough. Here are three things that can help you set goals and actually achieve them:

1.      Discover your ‘why’. Why is that the goal? Why is it important? And what would it mean to you or others if you were to achieve it?

2.      Create an action plan. Writing down you goal or goals is just one step in the process. You need a plan of action; specific things you can and will do to turn your goal into reality.

3.      Be Patient. We live in a right now society, where whenever we want something, we have to have it “right now”. This leads to giving up before even micro results can be seen.

Discovering Your Why

Most goals are set at the beginning of a year and why not, starting a new year is about renewal and fresh starts. Simply starting a goal or resolution just because the day or year changed, is not enough to last. When I decided to run a marathon after having a kidney transplant, I asked myself three questions:

1.      Why is that the goal? I wanted something beyond my perceived capabilities and considering I had never run a race of any distance, setting my sights on a marathon would test how strong my mindset was.

2.      Why is it important? This wasn’t just a goal that you go out and do one day. It would require months of dedication, discipline, and resilience. It would require me to train even when I did not feel like it. Setting such a challenging goal, would require me to test myself in nearly every aspect of my life, and that seemed like a worthy cause.

3.      What would it mean if I were to achieve it? For me, it would prove to myself that I can do hard things. That I can set a goal, stick to the plan, and persevere even when things got super hard. To others, it would be a living example of what is possible when you have purpose and use it to drive you to achieve your goals. It would demonstrate to others that our limitations are self-imposed and we have the power to write a new narrative for ourselves.

Creating an Action Plan

Cool. You have written down your goal. Now what? Wish or hope it magically comes true? That’s not how goals work. They require effort, attention, and discipline. But they also need a plan; a set of actions that when completed result in accomplishing a task or goal.

Here are three things to consider when creating your plan”

1.      Break your goal into consumable chunks. Don’t try to do everything at once. Decompose your goal into smaller pieces.

2.      Create a reasonable timeline. If you are going to run a marathon for the first time, don’t make your deadline in two weeks, it’s not reasonable. Set a target that is right on the edge of achievable and challenging enough to push you to show up. Too much time can be as bad as too little time.

3.      Celebrate the small wins. By breaking your goal into smaller pieces with a timeline, you now have inchstones and milestones along the way to your main objective. Each time you can check another item off the list or you stayed consistent for another week, take time to acknowledge and reward yourself – No this does not mean with a bucket of cake and ice cream.

Being Patient

The old cliché is “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is still used because it’s true. Reaching your goal will take time. If it doesn’t, then was it a challenging enough of a goal?

As you work towards your goal, you will need to trust the process. Know that what you are doing is making a difference, even if they are only micro shifts. Make that 1% daily change and over time it will begin to add up.

There will be road bumps along the way, you will need to be resilient and believe in yourself. This can be challenging, difficult, and often disheartening. But believe me, it will only make your victory that much sweeter in the end.

So, are you ready to achieve your goals? This week’s challenge is to pick a goal, come up with a plan, and take action. You can do this.

Celebrate Yourself More

When was the last time you told yourself, “Good job”? Not for perfection. Not for being the best. But just for showing up. Trying. Beginning again.

Let’s be honest, if you spoke to your friends the way you speak to yourself, would you still be friends?

A question hit me like a brick wall this week as I was scrolling through Instagram. It asked:
“Name three people you love.”
Then it followed with:
“Did you include yourself?”

Oof.

That moment made me stop in my tracks. Because I hadn’t and that seems like a problem.

The Truth Is, We’re Often Our Own Worst Critics

This week, I caught myself spiraling just a bit. I was thinking, “You’re not doing enough. You’re not making progress. You’re failing.” ---  But then I paused and took inventory.

And realized I had accomplished far more than I gave myself credit for. I’m building something that matters, moving forward. Just maybe not as fast as my ego wants.

I had to remind myself: Progress doesn’t have to be loud to be real.

There’s a Difference Between Critical and Cruel

Being critical is rooted in care. It’s you saying: I know I’m capable of more. That’s healthy. That’s growth. It’s the positive fuel you need.

But being mean to yourself? That’s sabotage. There’s no badge of honor in bullying yourself into success. And honestly, that kind of sabotage will not lead to success.

We live in a world where we applaud others for their first 5k, their 10-pound loss, their 9th Spartan Trifecta... But turn around and beat ourselves up for walking a mile or “only” losing 5 pounds.

Let me tell you this right now:
If you laced up your shoes and moved today, you’re a champion.
If you made one better choice, you’re a fighter.
If you got up and tried again, you’re winning.

This Week’s Challenge: Hype Yourself Up

This week, I want you to shift your inner voice. Instead of punishing yourself for what you didn’t do, praise yourself for what you did.

• Ran/walked a mile? 🔥

• Ate clean all day? 🔥

• Started something you’ve been putting off? 🔥

CELEBRATE – IT – ALL

• Give yourself the same grace you give to others.

• Speak to yourself like someone you love.

• Because you should.

The Power of Others

One of the hardest things you’ll ever do? Ask for help. Trust me — I know because I’ve struggled with it my entire life.

 Why do we so often go it alone?

• Fear of rejection

• Fear of being disappointed

• Fear of being a burden

• Lack of trust

But here’s the truth: you were never meant to do this life alone.

We are wired to be stronger together. Sometimes, you have to swallow your pride, open up, and let people into your fight. And here’s the surprising part: people want to help. More often than not, you’ll be amazed at how willing they are to lift you up and share whatever weight you’re carrying.

When I was younger, I played team sports, and I relied on my teammates just as much as they relied on me. We sweated together, we fought together, and we celebrated victory together.

But off the ice? I was a lone wolf. I convinced myself I could, and should, do everything alone. Sure, I achieved a lot that way. But when I look back, every major breakthrough had one or two key people helping me along the way.

My most powerful example?
When I needed a kidney donor, I had to let my guard down in the biggest, most vulnerable way. I shared my story with the world, putting it out on social media.

Within less than a month, the hospital called… I had three donor matches and several more people stepping forward to get tested. Strangers were lining up to save my life.

That moment blew my mind!

It reminded me, and it should remind you… YOU are never alone.

You are not alone in your struggles. You are not alone in your dreams. You are not alone in your mission. Friends, family, online communities — there are so many people ready to stand in your corner if you just open the door.

My dream with Maselli Mindset and my social platforms (@markmaselli on Instagram) is to create that community for you — a space where we help, uplift, and inspire one another.

Because together, we rise.