The Last Leg
When I ran track in high school, I ran mostly in relays. Looking back, one of the things I learned about coaches is that they are some of the most strategic people.
I didn’t necessarily see it that way then. I just knew that we had a team, we had a race, and we needed to run.
But our coach understood something important: you couldn’t simply put together a group of fast runners and assume you would win. You had to be strategic about where each runner was placed.
Although all of your runners may be good, you have to know exactly where to place them to give your team the best advantage. You have to understand their strengths, their pace, their ability to respond under pressure, and their ability to finish.
And then there is the last leg.
The last-leg runner is often the one who can finish strong. They have to be able to receive what has already been carried by the team, maintain momentum, and give everything they have left to the finish line.
They don't get to start the race over.
They don't get to complain about how fast or slow the previous runners moved.
They receive the baton, look ahead, and run.
As we prepare to step into the last leg of 2026 — the fourth quarter — I want to encourage you to do the same.
Finish strong.
You may not have had the year you planned. Maybe some things took longer than expected. Maybe there were opportunities you thought would happen that didn't. Maybe you experienced disappointments, delays, unexpected transitions, or moments when you weren't sure what your next step should be.
But you're still here.
And if you're still carrying the baton, the race isn't over.
There is still time to move intentionally.
There is still time to make the connection.
There is still time to make the phone call.
There is still time to have the conversation.
There is still time to make the adjustment.
There is still time to obey God.
There is still time to finish strong.
The last leg requires composure. It requires focus. It requires you to resist the temptation to become distracted by everything happening around you.
Don't spend the final stretch looking backward.
Look at the finish line.
Strategy: BE Intentional
Whether it's personal, business, relational, spiritual, or financial, BE intentional.
Know what you are trying to accomplish in each area of your life and plan accordingly.
Sometimes we say we want something, but our actions don't reflect what we say we want. Intentionality closes that gap.
You don't have to accomplish everything before December 31st. You don't have to suddenly become a completely different person in the next few months.
But you can become more intentional.
Ask yourself:
What still matters to me?
What needs my attention before the year ends?
What needs to be completed?
What needs to be released?
What conversation needs to happen?
What decision have I been postponing?
What do I need to stop carrying into the next season?
Your strategy for the last leg may look different from your strategy at the beginning of the year.
That's okay.
A good runner knows how to adjust their pace.
A wise person knows when it's time to adjust their strategy.
Connections: Don't Assume It's Too Late
One of the biggest mistakes we can make during a final stretch is assuming that because something didn't happen when we expected it to happen, it won't happen at all.
Maybe there is someone you've known all year that you've been meaning to contact.
Maybe there is a team you wanted to connect with.
Maybe there is a company, organization, client, mentor, friend, or potential partner you've been thinking about reaching out to.
Make the connection.
It's not too late.
Even if you believe you missed a prior opportunity, don't automatically assume the door is permanently closed.
Sometimes the opportunity wasn't missed. Sometimes the timing simply wasn't right.
And sometimes the connection you make in the last leg becomes part of what carries you into your next season.
So make the call.
Send the email.
Start the conversation.
Follow up.
Introduce yourself.
Ask the question.
You don't have to know exactly what will come from the connection. Your responsibility is to make the connection. Let God determine what happens with it.
Find Your Place
And if you're in a season where you're asking, “What's next?”
If you're wondering where you fit.
If you've spent so much time surviving a difficult season that you aren't quite sure how to begin dreaming again...
If you know there is more for you, but you're struggling to see what that “more” looks like...
I want to invite you to Dream Girl Dream: Rise Again on October 17th in Clearwater, Florida.
This isn't about creating a pretty vision board and calling it a day.
It's about creating space to pause, reflect, reconnect with who you are, and begin thinking intentionally about what comes next.
Dream Girl Dream was created to help women move beyond simply surviving difficult seasons and begin stepping toward the woman they are becoming. It's a space for real conversations, healing, renewed hope, practical tools, and purposeful action.
Because sometimes before you can run your next leg, you have to remember who you are, where you are going, and why you are running.
And sometimes you need a room full of women who will remind you.
Dream Girl Dream: Rise Again is October 17th in Clearwater, Florida.
Register for Dream Girl Dream: Rise Again
Come ready to reflect. Come ready to reconnect. Come ready to dream again.
Because your difficult season does not get to decide the rest of your story.
Words: What Are You Saying About Your Last Leg?
The words we speak matter.
Especially when we're tired.
Especially when we're disappointed.
Especially when the finish line feels farther away than we expected.
The last leg isn't the time to start speaking defeat over yourself.
This is the time to remind yourself of what is true.
So this week, speak these declarations over your life:
I will not allow what happened earlier in the year to determine how I finish it.
I have everything I need for the leg I have been assigned to run.
I will remain composed, focused, and intentional.
I will not allow delay to convince me that God has denied me.
I am not behind. I am learning, growing, and moving forward in God's timing.
I have permission to adjust my strategy without abandoning my purpose.
I will make the connections I need to make and trust God with the outcome.
I will not shrink because I am uncertain about what comes next.
I am becoming who God has called me to become.
I will finish this season with courage, wisdom, and expectation.
I believe there is still more ahead of me.
I will not quit in the last leg.
And perhaps most importantly:
I will finish strong.
Not because everything has gone according to plan.
Not because I have everything figured out.
Not because I haven't experienced disappointment.
But because I understand that the race isn't over simply because the year is coming to an end.
There is still purpose in this stretch.
There is still movement available.
There are still connections to make.
There are still lessons to learn.
There are still doors God can open.
There are still dreams worth dreaming.
So straighten your posture.
Take a breath.
Receive the baton.
And run.
The last leg is still part of the race.
