Helping students finish the year strong is one of the most important things a teacher, parent or mentor can do. There comes a point in every school year when the initial momentum fades, the novelty wears off, and the finish line feels very far away. Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” When the unexpected hits – illness, family stress, personal setbacks – what separates the students who finish well from those who give up is rarely talent. It is character.
With disruptions and pressures that arise throughout every school year, what students need to develop is the ability to adjust dynamically to new circumstances as they emerge. The capacity to endure and stand up to difficult things is vital on the journey to success. Many young people expect success and expect happiness – but do they ever expect they will need courage to face their fears so they can achieve both? Unless a student masters the art of finishing, they will never learn to fully respect themselves. Following through on a commitment and pressing on despite struggle grows grit.
The difference between those who start and those who finish
Lots of people start. Very few finish. Below are three characteristics that help students finish strong – applicable at any point in the year, in study, in sport, in life.
1. Lead: Take Ownership of Your Own Life
I often ask students to raise their hands if they are leading in a significant area. In a group of 100 students, I typically get around eight hands in the air. This is mind-boggling to me. Every single hand should be up. Why? Because every student in that room should be leading in the most significant area of all – their own life.
Great leadership solves problems. It seeks solutions and finds a way where others give up. It refuses to engage in self-pity or complaints, and it adapts when circumstances change. When I talk about helping students finish the year strong, the starting point is always leadership – because a student who leads themselves will find a way through almost anything.
Dr Seuss captured it beautifully when he said:
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
Dr Seuss
That is self-leadership in a sentence. A leader does not get to do whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want. A great leader also does not need to be the best in the world. Instead, a leader does what is required, despite the problems and setbacks. Inspiring others with your actions in the face of adversity is true leadership. Furthermore, leading your own life means pushing on and refusing to stop until you have achieved your dreams – showing up even on the days when showing up is the hardest thing you do.
What leadership looks like in practice
A student who leads themselves sets their own standards. They do not wait to be told to study – they show up to study. They do not wait for motivation – they create it through action. Indeed, this kind of self-leadership is the foundation of everything. Without it, all the talent in the world will go unfinished.
2. Think: Develop Mental Toughness
Helping students finish the year strong begins in the mind. Our thoughts shape our actions, and our actions shape our outcomes. The primal belief a student must hold as pressure builds is simple: I will finish strong. These three words combine into one powerful commitment. When life throws difficulties at you, your single-minded focus should be to stay the course.
Feelings should centre around grit, determination and hope. The actionable focus should be to show up every day with fight in your spirit. Finishing a race does not mean you will not get tired. Whether it is a 100m sprint or a 42.2km marathon, every athlete is tired at the finish line – especially if they gave it everything they had. Completing a race does not mean you will feel no pain. It simply means you have decided the goal is big enough to endure the effort.
Anything that is alive is in a continual state of change and movement. The moment you rest, thinking that you have attained the level you desire, a part of your mind enters a state of decay.
Robert Greene
Withstanding the pressure of a situation is first fought in your mind. Your thoughts have to align with your goals, otherwise you are living a life heading in two different directions. Therefore, the goal is to align your thoughts with your future direction and fuse them together until they become one – even when you feel tired, even when you feel like stopping.
The power of a single mantra
I encourage students to find one phrase they return to when things get hard. It might be “stay the course” or “I finish what I start.” Moreover, the act of choosing a mantra is itself an act of mental leadership – it signals to your brain that you have already decided how this ends. In other words, mental toughness is not about never struggling. It is about deciding, in advance, that you will not stop.
3. Move: Keep Going No Matter What
In the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Derek Redmond from Great Britain was on track to medal in the final of the 400m sprint event. He had posted the fastest time in the first round and easily won his quarter-final. However, with 250 metres left to go in the semi-final, he heard a snap and felt a sharp pain in his left leg. His hamstring had torn. He grabbed his leg in agony and dropped to the track.
Instead of staying down, Derek got to his feet. With pain etched across his face and officials trying to get him on a stretcher, he began to hop toward the finish line. His race was over in terms of medals. However, his new goal was simply to finish. The crowd of 65,000 people fell silent – and then began to roar.
The finish line is never just about winning
Then a familiar hand touched his shoulder. His father came running out of the stands and onto the track. He embraced his son and helped him cross the finish line. Above all, what that moment showed the world is this: even if you have to lean on others to finish the race, you can still cross the line.
Even if you have to lean on others to finish the race, you can still cross the line.
Glen Gerreyn
Some might say Derek hopping to the finish line in pain was pointless. Others had already finished. The race was over. However, it was not about winning. It was about finishing. It was about self-respect. In doing so, Derek Redmond became a beacon of hope for millions of people around the world – a reminder to just keep going, stay the course, and finish with pride.
This is the story I tell when I am helping students finish the year strong. Because the finish line is never just about the result. It is about who you become in the getting there. Set your focus on the finish line. Promise yourself today that you will make it to the end – no matter what.
Want to help your students build resilience and finish strong? At The HopeFULL Institute we deliver powerful school seminars that equip students with the mindset, grit and hope they need to finish what they start. Book a school seminar or visit The HopeFULL Institute to learn more.