--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yes: the race is long-to finish first…" description: "\"“Yes: the race is long-to finish first, first you must finish. ~p206”\" — Garth Stein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png" --- # Yes: the race is long-to finish first, first you must… ![“Yes: the race is long-to finish first, first you must finish. ~p206” quote by Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png) > ““Yes: the race is long-to finish first, first you must finish. ~p206”” [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success requires first completing the race; the goal of winning is unattainable without finishing. **In simple terms:** Finish before you aim to win. Key Takeaway Prioritize completion before victory. Themes competition process goal-setting perseverance focus Mood determined pragmatic encouraging Type motivational practical When to use this quote - sports - business projects - academic deadlines - personal goals Key Concepts racing strategy achievement discipline Questions to Reflect On - What does finishing mean in your current project? - How can you ensure quality while completing tasks? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on finishing may neglect quality or ethical considerations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [“The race is long. To finish first, you must first finish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-you-must-first-finish/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“the race is long—to finish first, first you must finish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [ \[T\]he race is long - to finish first, first you must finish. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/t-he-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“Yes: the race is long—to finish first, first you must finish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Hey, you didn’t let me finish.” “Finish what?” “Finish telling you that I love you too.” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-erickson/hey-you-didn-t-let-me-finish-finish-what-finish-telling-you-that-i/) [Megan Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-erickson/) > [The race is long. It is better to drive within oneself and finish the race behind the other than it is to drive too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/the-race-is-long-it-is-better-to-drive-within-oneself-and-finish-the/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“The race is long. It is better to drive within oneself and finish the race behind the others than it is to drive too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/the-race-is-long-it-is-better-to-drive-within-oneself-and-finish-the-2/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [To finish first, you must first finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-mears/to-finish-first-you-must-first-finish/) [Rick Mears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-mears/) > [In order to finish first, you first have to finish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stirling-moss/in-order-to-finish-first-you-first-have-to-finish/) [Stirling Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stirling-moss/) > [To finish first you have to first finish. Don't get in a position where you go back to go. What's interesting is that some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/to-finish-first-you-have-to-first-finish-don-t-get-in-a-position/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If Arsenal don't finish third, they might not finish in third place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-martin/if-arsenal-don-t-finish-third-they-might-not-finish-in-third-place/) [Alvin Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-martin/) > [I'm glad that, despite everything, I was able to get work done and finish something. I never finish anything. So just being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-cole-smith/i-m-glad-that-despite-everything-i-was-able-to-get-work-done-and/) [Zachary Cole Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-cole-smith/) > [“Don't waste your time with jealousy. Some times your ahead, some times your behind. The race is long and in the end, it's only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baz-luhrmann/don-t-waste-your-time-with-jealousy-some-times-your-ahead-some-times/) [Baz Luhrmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baz-luhrmann/) > [Don't waste your time on jealousy, sometimes you're behind, sometimes you're ahead. The race is long but in the end, it's only with yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-sunscreen-song/don-t-waste-your-time-on-jealousy-sometimes-you-re-behind-sometimes/) The Sunscreen Song ## More by Garth Stein > [What I want now is what I've always wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/what-i-want-now-is-what-i-ve-always-wanted/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“Man's closest relative is not the chimpanzee, as the TV people believe, but is, in fact, the dog. "Enzo" I admire the female sex.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/man-s-closest-relative-is-not-the-chimpanzee-as-the-tv-people-believe/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“There is no dishonor in losing the race, Don said. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose. ~p 227”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/there-is-no-dishonor-in-losing-the-race-don-said-there-is-only/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [It’s so hard to communicate because there are so many moving parts. There’s presentation and there’s interpretation and they’re so dependent on each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/it-s-so-hard-to-communicate-because-there-are-so-many-moving-parts/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“This is what I love to do: I love to run through a field of wet grass that has not been mowed recently, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/this-is-what-i-love-to-do-i-love-to-run-through-a-field-of-wet-grass/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/there-is-no-dishonor-in-losing-the-race-there-is-only-dishonor-in-not/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [In racing, they say that your car goes where your eyes go. The driver who cannot tear his eyes away from the wall as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/in-racing-they-say-that-your-car-goes-where-your-eyes-go-the-driver/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [When I return to the world, I will be a man. I will walk among you. I will lick my lips with my small,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/when-i-return-to-the-world-i-will-be-a-man-i-will-walk-among-you-i/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [My soul has learned what it came to learn, and all the other things are just things. We can't have everything we want. Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/my-soul-has-learned-what-it-came-to-learn-and-all-the-other-things/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [I hear hundreds of years of life. I hear wind and rain and fire and beetles. I hear the seasons changing and birds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/i-hear-hundreds-of-years-of-life-i-hear-wind-and-rain-and-fire-and/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“What I have always liked best is when he talks about having no memory. No memory of things he'd done just a second before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/what-i-have-always-liked-best-is-when-he-talks-about-having-no-memory/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“Know who is driving next to you. Any problems that may occur have ultimately been caused by you, because you are responsible for where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/know-who-is-driving-next-to-you-any-problems-that-may-occur-have/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [“Pretend you are a dog like me and listen to other people rather than steal their stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/pretend-you-are-a-dog-like-me-and-listen-to-other-people-rather-than/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/that-which-we-manifest-is-before-us-we-are-the-creators-of-our-own/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [The race is long. It is better to drive within oneself and finish the race behind the other than it is to drive too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/the-race-is-long-it-is-better-to-drive-within-oneself-and-finish-the/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) [Explore all 187 Garth Stein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) ## More Finish quotes > [My first Olympics memory was watching Haile Gebrselassie in Sydney 2000. His sprint finish to defend his title really moved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/my-first-olympics-memory-was-watching-haile-gebrselassie-in-sydney/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [Children should finish school and even go to college if they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fuller/children-should-finish-school-and-even-go-to-college-if-they-can/) [Robert Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fuller/) > [Every Finish Line is the beginning of a new race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-finish-line-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-race/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It doesn't matter where you start but how you finish that matters!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-irick-rainford/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-start-but-how-you-finish-that-matters/) Valerie Irick Rainford > [Whenever I finish a film, I feel that this is the worst film that I have made. This is bound to happen because while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/whenever-i-finish-a-film-i-feel-that-this-is-the-worst-film-that-i/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [When I finish my career, I can look back and then decide if it was good or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-henderson/when-i-finish-my-career-i-can-look-back-and-then-decide-if-it-was/) [Jordan Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-henderson/) > [I've enjoyed my time at every club I have worked at, I've been lucky, but I won't jump in and finish up working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-redknapp/i-ve-enjoyed-my-time-at-every-club-i-have-worked-at-i-ve-been-lucky/) [Harry Redknapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-redknapp/) > [“Do it well, finish it properly, and move on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eunice-kennedy-shriver/do-it-well-finish-it-properly-and-move-on/) [Eunice Kennedy Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eunice-kennedy-shriver/) > [Not everyone who started with you will finish with you. Be willing to go without them if you have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-gaskins/not-everyone-who-started-with-you-will-finish-with-you-be-willing-to/) [Tony Gaskins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-gaskins/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Call me old-fashioned, but it's always been my firm belief that a teacher's job should be for each of his or her students to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/call-me-old-fashioned-but-it-s-always-been-my-firm-belief-that-a/) [Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/) > [If it is possible I want to finish my career at Manchester United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-ji-sung/if-it-is-possible-i-want-to-finish-my-career-at-manchester-united/) [Park Ji-sung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-ji-sung/) > [A lot of times, you finish a movie, and you're either going, 'Oh, thank God, that's over,' or 'Oh, my God, it's over, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyck-godfrey/a-lot-of-times-you-finish-a-movie-and-you-re-either-going-oh-thank/) [Wyck Godfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyck-godfrey/) > [I used to review games on 'The Totally Rad Show,' and the best thing about that was I would finish games. Now, it's become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-trachtenberg/i-used-to-review-games-on-the-totally-rad-show-and-the-best-thing/) [Dan Trachtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-trachtenberg/) > [“Winners run through the finish line. End your day with passion and enthusiasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-bellah/winners-run-through-the-finish-line-end-your-day-with-passion-and/) [Butch Bellah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-bellah/) Browse all 1,526 Finish quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Yes: the race is long-to finish first, first you must finish. ~p206”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Garth Stein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish-p206/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Finish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish-p206/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2dd/garth-stein-1965_finish_yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-fir_423760.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yes: the race is long-to finish first, first you must finish. ~p206” — Garth Stein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Garth Stein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Yes: the race is long-to finish...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish-p206/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/yes-the-race-is-long-to-finish-first-first-you-must-finish-p206/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```