Win the Day Ch 7

John Wooden's Principles for Success

• UCLA Bruins dominated college basketball from 1964-1975, winning 10 NCAA championships, including 7 consecutive titles.
• John Wooden, the "Wizard of Westwood", was named College Basketball Coach of the Year 6 times.
• His leadership and character were considered more impressive than his coaching skills.
• His coaching career began at Indiana State Teachers College, but he declined an invitation to the NAIB National Tournament due to a policy banning black players, even if it meant his squad couldn't participate.
• This decision eventually led to the reversal of the NAIB policy and Clarence Walker becoming the first African American to play in a postseason intercollegiate basketball tournament.
• Wooden's unique path to UCLA involved a missed call from the University of Minnesota athletic director due to a snowstorm.

Wooden's Seven-Point Creed

• Wooden's father exposed him to a 7-point creed for living, influencing his life in meaningful ways, copying it from a 1931 interview with Supreme Court Justice John H. Clarke.

• The 7-point creed includes:

• Be true to yourself.

• Help others.

• Make each day your masterpiece.

• Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.

• Make friendship a fine art.

• Build a shelter against a rainy day.

• Pray for guidance, and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Defining Success

• Many people strive for success but don't know how to define it.
• They conform to cultural definitions instead of defining success individually.
• Success is multifaceted and individualistic.
• Success is about stewardship, doing the best you can with what you have in your current situation and locale

Making Each Day a Masterpiece

• Defining success and victory is essential for each day’s fulfillment.
• Lead measures and lag measures can aid in defining success.
• Success involves focusing on becoming the best possible version of oneself, and avoiding comparison with others.
• This involves analyzing one’s ideal day, including time of day, location, company, and activities in day-to-day life.

Creating Masterpieces: Inspired by God's Creation

• Each day of creation in Genesis is viewed as a unique masterpiece.

• The creation story emphasizes the importance of appreciating the small details and marvels of God's magnificent work.

• Everyday tasks, like breathing, the heart beating, and chemical reactions in the body, are presented as miraculous displays of creation.

• The universe is vast and complex, and human beings face life challenges as daily miracles.

• Recognizing each day as miraculous is essential to fully appreciating life's experiences.

Sweat the Small Stuff

• John Wooden emphasized the importance of seemingly small daily tasks to success, even putting on socks and shoes.
• The importance of attention to detail and diligence in daily routines as critical to overall accomplishment.
• Wooden's approach emphasizes how the details accumulate over time to impact larger achievements.
  • A proverb illustrates the significance of small things, using an example of losing a kingdom due to a lost nail.
• God is in the details of creation, even when they seem insignificant.
• This focus on small things, using the example of the 200 pomegranates on columns in Solomon's temple and the detail of craftsmanship.

Intrinsic Motivation and the "Audience of One"

• Intrinsic motivation emphasizes performing tasks for personal satisfaction and not external accolades or recognition.
• The comparison to the three bricklayers illustrates differing motivations: one solely focused on his task, one with a broader perspective on building a wall, and one imagining a cathedral built to honor God.
• Working hard, regardless of the task's apparent importance, is key to success for personal excellence.
• The importance of dedication and hard work in achieving personal objectives.
  • The role of faith and devotion in one's daily pursuits.

Love of the Game and Deliberate Practice

• Success depends on loving what one does, especially when not completely fulfilling one’s personal dream job.
• A key to achieving a dream job is consistently doing a good job, even in a less-than-ideal occupation.
• John Wooden and Kobe Bryant’s dedication to practice illustrates the importance of repeated and intense practice for mastery—deliberate practice to achieve pinnacle performance.
• Kobe Bryant's practice routine exemplified a dedicated approach to mastery, suggesting that excellence is a lifelong pursuit.
  • Focusing on ongoing self-improvement exemplifies the dedication to being the best version of oneself.