Wooden’s Wisdom — Volume 3, Issue 145
October 20
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I Am Not What I Want to Be,
Not What I Ought to Be,
and Not What I Am Going to Be,
but I Am Thankful I Am Not What I Used to Be
 

When Coach Wooden was asked if he thought he had lived up to the Seven Point Creed his father had given him; Coach would often reply:

I would like to be able to tell you that I lived up to Dad’s creed, but I am more like the fellow who said: I am not what I want to be, not what I ought to be, and not what I am going to be, but I am thankful I am not what I used to be.

I’ve tried and I think that’s all Dad would of expected and that’s all I expect from young people under my supervision, my children, my grandchildren and all my 13 great-grandchildren, all I ask is try.

This level headed approach to self evaluation has three parts to it:

1. Humility (I am not what I want to be, not what I ought to be)
2. Commitment to improvement (not what I am going to be)
3. Attitude of gratitude (I am thankful I am not what I used to be).

This is the same level headed approach Coach Wooden used to help his teams avoid peaks and valleys.

Coach Wooden summed it up this way:

I believe that for every artificial peak you create, you also create valleys. When you get too high for anything, emotion takes over and consistency of performance is lost and you will be unduly affected when adversity comes.

I emphasized constant improvement and steady performance.

I have often said: "The mark of a true champion is to always perform near your own level of competency." We were able to do that by never being satisfied with the past and always planning for what was to come.

I believe that failure to prepare is preparing to fail. The constant focus on the future is one reason we continued staying near the top once we got there.

When this simple approach is applied to everyday life as an individual or as a team, you can count on one thing: The best is yet to come!

Yours in Coaching,
Craig Impelman