Gary Smith:

Gather 'round, children. Uncle Gary has a life lesson he wants to share... just last week, my daughter Katherine recorded her best-ever 2k "erg" (indoor rower) time of 7:54. That's pretty darn fast for a high school junior. Not get-into-any-college-you-want fast, but quick enough to at least have a coach at most schools show interest. That's the good news.

The bad news? She only recorded the time when she absolutely had to: when her back was up against the wall, and she was in jeopardy of losing her "seat" in the varsity boat. All she had worked so hard to achieve looked to be tabled because she was showing little progress.

The lesson? It is hard to constantly challenge ourselves, to raise the bar when no one is looking. In fact, in my experience, Katherine is more the rule than the exception. Yet you never know when opportunity presents itself, when someone notices you without you noticing them. If you're in a position to take advantage of those opportunities, they tend to make a huge difference in your life. Therefore, don't wait until it's the last quarter with no time on the clock. Then you typically have no upside.

Instead, try to be a bit better than you are on a regular basis. Shine your shoes even when you don't have a job interview. Study hard even when there's no exam coming up. Run a few extra miles now so the post-40 "battle of the bulge" isn't quite so arduous.

Yes, Yes, I know. It's hard to do what I say, as "lazy" seems to be built into our systems. (I'm as guilty as the next guy.) Certainly, I've said not one thing you didn't already know. Still, every once in a while, it's good to be reminded of what works. Hope this is one of those times.