“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
Golf is the sport that proves that I love my family. That is to say, it’s not my favorite sport but I’ll play if my people want to. So the other day I was playing with my almost seven-year-old son.
We were at a local city-run pitch and putt course where we can play nine par three holes for $12. I stepped up to the tee on the eighth hole, swung hard, and…completely and embarrassingly missed the ball. After a moment to regain my balance and composure, I swung again. It was my best hit of the round. The ball landed two feet from the hole and I got a birdie.
It made me laugh, and it also brought me back to a question I’ve been sitting with. What if coming in second, or a getting a second chance, is not failure but preparation?
In this episode of The Life of Try, I explore the hidden power of effort, persistence, and staying ready when life does not put you out front.
Through a business lesson about losing a big opportunity, Nathan Martin’s dramatic 2026 LA Marathon finish (thanks to Brian from Writing From the Heart with Brian), and the long-build success story of Dutch Bros Coffee, this episode is a reminder that effort keeps you eligible for the opening when it appears.
Key Takeaways:
- Second place is not always failure; sometimes it is the place where patience, preparation, and readiness are built.
- Effort keeps you eligible for opportunity, even when you are not out front or visible to everyone else.
- Staying in the race matters because the opening often appears after most people have already slowed down or stopped trying.
- A disappointing loss can still position you for a future win if you keep showing up with humility and persistence.
- Nathan Martin’s dramatic LA Marathon finish is a reminder that you do not have to be in the picture early to have a meaningful finish.
- Long-term success, like the Dutch Bros story, is often built through years of unseen work, reinvention, and consistent effort.
If you are learning how to keep going, build resilience, try again after disappointment, or trust the unseen work behind personal growth, this episode will encourage you to stay in position, keep showing up, and keep trying.
Here are some other ways you can listen and watch this episode:
- The podcast player embedded below
- Click this link to watch in a browser: Why Second Place Might Be Preparation, Not Failure
- Subscribe to The Life of Try on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry
Links for this episode:
Why Second Place Might be Preparation, Not Failure transcript
➡️Brian Hannon’s post It’s a Sprint to the Finish and the Winner Is…
🎥 Other episodes you might enjoy
➡️ Encourage Effort, Not Results | How to Build Resilience and Confidence
➡️ The Courage to Try Something New with Lindsey Goldstein
➡️ How to Write the Book You’ve Been Dreaming About with Dr. Vicki Atkinson
(featured photo from Pexels)
Surprised By Joy 
Trying is what matters Wynne.
Yes second place is disappointing, but it is never failure.
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i so agree, you never know why some things happen the way they did. and then you do. it wasn’t your time yet.
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You are the Queen of Encouragement, Wynne, the Princess of Reframing. Whenever you receive the crown I will be there.👑
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Love the “effort keeps you eligible” nudge, Wynne. So powerful…stay in the game. Yes! 💝
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Look forward to a listen. Thanks, Wynne!
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Great life lessons Wynne. Too often I give up or don’t even make the effort. Thanks for the reminders.
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I agree, Wynne. We learn way more from coming up short than obtaining instant success. Not only can we come up with a revised strategy or plan to succeed at that specific goal, “losing” makes us more resilient and stronger overall. We grow, and we get better!
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Oh wow, Wynne you are on a roll. This is awesome. Gave me goose bumps. I can’t wait to share this post with others. “Maybe the better question is, am I still in position? Am I still showing up? Am I still building? Am I still practicing? Am I still learning?” This is one of the reasons why I think you’re really onto something with The Life of Try. We as a society get so focused on winning that we forget about the ingredients (hard work, discipline, practice, etc.) that got us there in the first place. So timely. Love your story about the presentation. Did the company ever come back and give you its business. If not, I bet the hard work helped you in other ways. And yes, thank you so much for the shout-out on my piece. I still think about the LA marathon and think about races in my own life that I just need to keep pushing until the end. Great stuff Wynne.
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I look forward to listening. Your post reminded me of a swim coach our kids had in high school. If their race was less than optimal, he would ask them why and what they needed to do to improve.
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I just listened to the podcast, and it was excellent, my friend.
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Hey, having fun is more important than coming in first, right?! I once got the “most honest player” trophy at my husband’s company golf tournament. I was happy to get any trophy, but he was embarrassed, because I was being acknowledged as being the worst player with the highest amount of points!
This directly goes against the new mini putt games that are all digital and the most points wins. I got lucky when playing a family game and wiped everyone out. My oldest granddaughter was very upset as she was actively trying to beat me. Her very competitive nature took a big hit. She vowed to never again play with me, lol!
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You so inspire me in a million ways – great podcast!
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“Effort keeps you eligible for opportunity” is such a good line, Wynne. Stealing that one for myself honestly. we’ve all got that one sport we play purely for our kids/family and not because we actually enjoy it 😂 gonna go listen to the episode now, love this one
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This is such a beautiful reminder 🙂 I love how you mentioned that it is not losing but preparing yourself
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