As you might imagine from the title of this post, I’ve been watching the Olympics. The gymnasts’ skill and focus always blow me away, and I enjoy watching them compete.
Of course, the phrase “stick the landing” comes from gymnastics competition. In order to really finish the routine with an exclamation mark and not lose points, the gymnast must land firmly and cleanly on both feet, without taking extra steps.
The phrase has come into common usage for any other endeavor where you want to finish cleanly, to end well. In my work, it usually means that the speaker needs to have a closing that will effectively wrap up the experience for the audience. Stick the landing.
And what happens when you don’t? What can I learn from how the gymnasts handle it when they don’t quite stick the landing?
They have practiced literally thousands of times. They know exactly what the landing should be, and they practice how to recover. If a gymnast lands a little off balance and has to take an extra step or two, she then collects herself, throws her arms in the air with a big smile, and does the finish she has practiced.
In other words, even if she doesn’t stick the landing, she completes the routine with polish and flair. She doesn’t let a little detour prevent her from finishing the way she has practiced, the way she has envisioned the routine.
As speakers, we can plan to stick our landing, and we can also practice how to recover. How can I get back on track if I was distracted? How can I finish strong? Like the gymnasts, knowing exactly how you want your closing to look and feel, being intimately familiar with it because you have done it so often, will ensure a solid landing.
