Take Nothing For Granted
One Idea
A violinist inside a D.C. Metro stop, wearing a ball cap and baggy clothes, stands and plays his heart out for an hour–mostly Bach. He garners $35 in tips, while most pedestrians rushing by don’t seem to notice him.
If only they’d stopped to listen. The performer is acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell, one of the best in the world. A grammy winner–who’s concerts regularly sellout performance halls the world over–Bell’s plays beautifully on a $3.5 million violin, and no one cares.
This stunt was a 2007 collaboration with the Washington Post highlighting a psychological phenomenon called inattentional blindness.
Inattentional blindness, also known as perceptual blindness, is failing to notice fully visible, but unexpected realities because attention was engaged on other tasks, events, or objects.
Inattentional blindness isn’t a bad thing; it’s a necessary byproduct of focused attention. That said, there are some things we best not allow ourselves to be blind to or ignore. Doing so too easily leads to taking things for granted.
Two Quotes
“We often take for granted the very things that deserve our gratitude.” - Cynthia Ozick
“Stopping at third adds no more value to the score than striking out. It doesn’t matter how well you start if you fail to finish.” - Billy Sunday
(More Than) Three Takeaways
1. Of the 365 days in a calendar year, only 13 will we get to compete against another FBS opponent in an actual game.
2. There are nearly 17,000 amateur football programs in the US. Most of these are youth, middle, and high school teams. Only 130 are FBS collegiate programs; that’s less than 1%.
3. Oh, and you get to be a part of one of these FBS programs. You. Whether coach, support staff, or student-athlete, this unique opportunity is afforded to you.
4. We’ve likely less than one month–give or take a few days–as the 2019 California Golden Bear football team. All the people, the relationships, the work, the impact we’ve had on one another, the investment we’ve made in this effort together–there’s only about a month left.
5. In a long journey, it’s easy to take the last few miles for granted. But if the journey’s a competition, then the last few miles are when we’re supposed to turn it up–to sprint through the finish line. Leave nothing in the tank, hold nothing back, and seize this day.
6. The last chapter, the final scene, and the closing argument. The bottom of the ninth, the fourth quarter, and the final play. I don’t have to say anything more: these are the moments we give it our all. This is where everything we’ve been working for comes together and fulfills its purpose.
Staying Present
One Idea
Throw a bucket of water at a rock once, and it does nothing. Drip drops of water on a rock daily, and it creates a hole in the rock.
Coaches from all sports have long preached the significance of playing one game at a time–one play at a time, one pitch at a time, one stroke at a time, etc. There’s a reason for this message’s pervasiveness: the point of power always lives in the present moment.
Early in his career, Tiger Woods worked with a hypnotist to help him place his mind in the “now.” Alex Rodriguez worked with sports psychologists throughout his career concluding, “My only goal is to play one entire game in the present.” And Emily Dickinson wrote, “Forever is composed of nows.”
To live in the present moment is to think and see clearly. It’s an orientation to the task at hand over everything else. Where living in the past gives way to anger, disappointment, and regret–and living in the future leads to pressure, anxiety, and fear–living in the present yields action.
The drop of water doesn’t concern itself with the drop before or after it. It doesn’t get caught up in accomplishment, failure, or expectation. It only drops. And drops. And drops. The wisdom of the drop of water is this: there is no power in the past or the future, only in the present moment.
The ultimate in mental discipline is an ability to live in the present. It’s the only place anything ever happens. It’s also the one place few of us ever live.
Two Quotes
“You create a great future by creating a great present." - Eckhart Tolle
"Knowledge isn’t power. Knowledge is potential power. Execution of knowledge in this moment is power." – Dale Carnegie
Three Takeaways
1. Emotions make great servants but are terrible masters. Anger, disappointment, regret, pressure, anxiety, and fear all have their place. They reveal unrealized expectations, results, and progress. But they’re also states of being that leave us paralyzed. To move forward, at some point, we must let go. We must focus on the task at hand, and take new action.
2. Every drop counts. John Wooden famously used one practice every season to teach his players how to put on socks and shoes before a game. He said, “This matters. It’s the little details that make the big things come about.”
3. Dis-traction is the opposite of traction. To place your attention anywhere other than the present moment is to lose your grip. It’s to give up your ability to keep moving forward.
Competition: Against vs. Together
One Idea
The ancient Greeks used two words when talking about competition: antagonízomai and synagonismos.
Ant·agon·ízomai means ‘to strive against.’ In terms of sophistication, it’s the lesser of the two meanings. Why? Because it only requires a single individual, and it defines itself by what it’s against. Antagonízomai is where we get words like antagonize, rival, and contend.
Antagonízomai is what my children do. They don’t communicate well, they don’t often share, and they’re usually incapable of working together. If they do compete, it’s on their own or against one another.
Syn·agon·ismos means ‘to strive together.’ This definition is more mature because it involves communication, complexity, and calls for a group of people to work collectively toward a common goal. Synagonismos defines itself by what it’s for and where it’s going.
In team sports, synagonismos is what you want.
Synagonismos is why some teams with lesser talent compete against–and defeat–teams with greater overall talent. If synagonismos is achieved, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Two Quotes
“Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." - Vince Lombardi
"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it." – H.E. Luccock
Three Takeaways
1. Eleven three-star athletes working together > Eleven five-star athletes working against. We don’t need more talent. What we need is humility, trust, and the execution of striving together as one.
2. Communication is a cornerstone. If a group of people with differing perspectives, experiences, and knowledge are to come together at all, what one quality would you say they’d need to embody? Yes. An ability and willingness to communicate. Communication involves voicing your perspective and listening to the perspectives of others.
3. In competition, we either compete against or compete together. The one we choose consistently will determine how far we’ll go.
Initiative
One Idea
No longer in their mother’s care, two polar bears sit atop a drift of ice hungry for a meal. The older brother tells himself, ‘eventually a seal will come.’ So, he sits–doing nothing–waiting for the magic moment to arrive.
The younger sister decides she can’t just sit around. The water is cold, and the sea is dangerous. But, she knows that if she wants to eat, she has to hunt. So, she dives in.
It takes her three trips, and on the third, she emerges with a seal. Cold, wet, and out of breath, she doesn’t go hungry that day. Her brother? Doing nothing did nothing for him, and he doesn’t eat.
Nobody asked Thomas Edison to invent the light bulb, nobody asked Amelia Earhart to fly across the Atlantic, and nobody asked Nelson Mandela to stand up against apartheid. No matter; they did anyway.
Maturity, in part, means taking responsibility for your life. It means not needing somebody else’s permission to do something meaningful with this moment.
Stop waiting to be told what to do. Take initiative, do the work, and persevere until the end. Your future is your responsibility.
Two Quotes
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” - Leonardo da Vinci
“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” - Frederick Douglas
Three Takeaways
1. Your best work–your greatest contribution–isn’t going to be your boss’ idea. Who are you waiting for? Whose permission do you think you need? You don’t. What’s on your mind and in your heart isn’t going to come from anyone else. Speak up. Reach out. Take the risk.
2. Act like you’re invited, because you are. Very few people get to be here, but here you are. You’re supposed to be here. There’s no reason to act like you don’t belong. You do. So act accordingly. (This is perhaps the most common conversation I’ve had with student-athletes over the years.)
3. Don’t settle for being held accountable; take responsibility. A bunch of guys over the years have asked me to hold them accountable for various things. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I don’t. Either way, I always tell them the goal is to graduate to responsibility. Responsibility means being accountable not to another, but to yourself.
Goals vs. Gains
One Idea
Inside the lobby of its Hawthorne, CA headquarters, SpaceX features a prominent rendering of a Martian city. Now, the company has yet to work out just how to engineer, manufacture, and sustain a city on Mars; much less, how to get actual people to the planet. Still, the image hangs–a visual reminder to everyone in the company: this is where we’re going.*
Source: SpaceX.com
Also displayed in its headquarters, SpaceX produced a film celebrating its many failures. Faulty sensors, bad valves, lack of oxygen and fuel, and collapsed landing legs have all contributed to multiple explosions and countless aborted launches costing the company hundreds of millions of dollars.
They recently announced they’re focused on figuring out static fire and in-flight abort tests for their first manned launch set for early next year. Oh, that's right, 17 years in and SpaceX has yet to send a human into orbit–not to Mars or even the Moon–just into space. Their announcement about these two issues is basically them saying: this is what we’re working on.
What’s my point?**
When making goals, SpaceX dreams big.
When making gains, SpaceX thinks small.
Two Quotes
“Marginal gains is not about making small changes and hoping they fly. Rather, it is about breaking down a big problem into small parts in order to rigorously establish what works and what doesn't.” - Matthew Syed
“Your progress as a runner is a frustratingly slow process of small gains. It's a matter of inching up your mileage and your pace. It's a matter of learning to celebrate the small gains as if they were Olympic victories. It means paying your dues on the road or the treadmill. It means searching for the limits of your body and demanding that your spirit not give up. It means making the most of what you have. It means making yourself an athlete one workout at a time.” - John Bingham
Three Takeaways
1. Measure progress based on where you were yesterday, not on where you’ll be in five years.
2. Conversely: What seemingly small issues, if not resolved today, could balloon into huge problems five years from now?
3. The Aggregation of Marginal Gains: daily 1% gain + every aspect of the team + time = tremendous growth.
* SpaceX’s stated vision is to “revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.” (www.spacex.com/about)
** The idea for this post was inspired by James Clear’s ‘3-2-1 Thursday Newsletter’ from August 15, 2019.
Stress Appraisal
One Idea
A team begins the season 4-0, including two come-from-behind victories and a road win against a top 15 opponent. That same team then loses three straight. Two of those losses come at home against teams they were picked to beat.
What’s the best way to appraise the situation?
Social psychologists suggest we have two options: we can either see our obstacles as threats or we can see them as challenges. But be careful, the mindset we choose goes a long way in predicting our future success or failure.
A threat mindset sees setbacks as definitive decline. The thinking here is: all is lost, and we’re on our way down. Viewing obstacles in this way tells a story of fear, scarcity, and loss-prevention. Threat thinking has been proven to inhibit growth.
A challenge mindset sees setbacks and defeats as an opportunity for increase. The thinking here is: wow that stings, but how can we improve? This position focuses on growth, no matter the circumstance. Viewing obstacles in this way tells a story of courage, resourcefulness, and continued improvement.
Stress appraisal is a fancy term psychologists use to talk about the story we attach to an event. The good news: we always get to choose what story we want to tell.
Two Quotes
“Pain is necessary. Suffering is usually optional.” - Richard Rohr
“What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.” - J. Sidlow Baxter
Three Takeaways
1. We define what defines us. We are a 4-0 team. We’re also a team that’s lost three straight. The question isn’t: which is truest of us? The question is: how do we continue to grow? We get to define what defines us.
2. Again, beyond mountains are more mountains. Overcoming this obstacle doesn’t lead to a land of no obstacles. This is what coaching, football, and competitive sports is all about: getting challenged and navigating continued growth. Expect setbacks, and setbacks won’t set you back. Expect growth, and every situation is an opportunity to gain.
3. Keep getting better. In 2016, Miami of Ohio went 0-6 before winning six straight and playing in a bowl game. In 2017, Missouri lost five straight before winning six in a row and making a bowl. In 2003, Kansas State went 4-0, then lost three straight, before winning out and beating an undefeated OU team to win the Big 12 Championship. Forty-eight professional sports have overcome 3-1 playoff series deficits in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. How do teams do this? Their losses never define them. Challenges are but chances to keep getting better.
Positive Self-Talk
One Idea
Two marathoners run–equally trained and evenly talented–15 miles in, one fades while the other endures. The difference between them? The story they tell themselves.
Self-talk is the self-addressed, inner story we maintain at any given moment. It falls into at least 4 categories: positive, negative, instructional, and neutral. The impact of self-talk on endurance performance is huge.
Positive self-talk motivates performance. It tells a story of drive, endurance, and success. It says, “I’m feeling good,” “I’m going to make it,” and “we’re going to score.”
Negative self-talk impairs performance. It tells a story of doom, fatigue, and failure. It says, “I’m out of energy,” “please don’t miss,” and “we probably can’t score.”
Instructional self-talk masters performance. The story here is one of discovery, strategy, and progress. It says, “try it this way,” “bend your knees”, and “we’re growing.”
Neutral self-talk, technically speaking, is neither beneficial nor detrimental to performance.*
Why is all of this important? Studies have demonstrated that a positive or instructional story can benefit endurance performance by up to 30%. Put another way: we can literally talk ourselves into and out of exhaustion or strength.
The easiest way to change behavior is to change your environment. When that’s not possible, change your story.
What kind of story are you telling yourself?
Two Quotes
“The limit is not the sky. The limit is the mind.” - Wim Hof
“The mind under control is your best friend, the mind wandering about is your worst enemy.” - Bhagavad Gita
Three Takeaways
1. Talented athletes who consistently underperform have a story problem. Are they saying, “Don’t screw up?” (negative self-talk) or “I’ve got this!” (positive self-talk)? Do they know the difference between your coaching & feedback (an instructional storyline) vs. their perceived failure or fate (a negative storyline)? Find out what their story is, and work to change it for the better.
2. The stories we celebrate shape the culture we live in. Be stingy in celebrating talent, accolades, or rankings. Be generous in celebrating growth, work ethic, and selflessness.
3. The right storyline can enhance performance by up to 30%. Imagine that. Imagine how much we’ll improve over the course of the next six games? Now imagine us 30% better than that. Choose a positive, instructional storyline–both for yourself and for those you impact.
*I’d argue that neutral self-talk distracts from performance, and is, therefore, not worth entertaining. Examples include commentary on crowd size, the weather, and other unrelated data.
On Recruiting: Be The Guide
One Idea
We’re not the hero; we’re the guide.*
Every great story follows the same basic template. (1) A character (2) with a problem (3) meets a guide (4) who gives them a plan (5) that forces them to take action. (6) That action helps them avoid failure (7) and ends in success.
From Star Wars to Moneyball to Tommy Boy to your own life, every great story sees the world through this template. Great organizations utilize these devices to clarify their message and win better clients (or in our case, recruit ideal student-athletes).
A Character - Who is our ideal customer? What are his values? Goals? What’s his ethos? What does he care about most?
With A Problem - What does he need? What problem(s) is he facing? The best stories identify the problem on three levels: external (obvious), internal (deeper), and philosophical (something we all deal with). In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker wants to save the empire (external), he longs to know where he came from (internal), and fights the noble fight of good vs evil (philosophical).
Meets Guide - We’re not the hero; we’re the guide. We’re Yoda, Gandolf, whomever. The guide (us) needs to manifest two qualities: empathy and authority. Empathy communicates, ‘I’ve been in your shoes.’ Authority says, ‘I’ve solved this problem before and more. Let me show you how.’
Who Gives Him A Plan - Great organizations don’t just get their name out there; they communicate how their vision/system/product will be good for the customer’s specific needs. (Again, we’re not the hero. We’re the guide.) The best plans are specific, actionable, and distinct from their competitors.
That Forces Him To Take Action - There is a point in all great stories where the guide finally calls the character to action. It’s amazing how easy it is to screw this up. The power of asking the hero to make a decision–to buy the product, to have a big ‘click to purchase’ button on their homepage, or to go ahead and commit–cannot be understated.
The Action Helps The Hero Avoid Failure - A compelling sales pitch communicates what’s at stake. It’s clearly presents how the hero will be missing out if he doesn’t commit to your plan. Stories that end with the hero choosing poorly are known as tragedies.
And Ends In Success - Ideally, our plan solves the hero’s external, internal, and philosophical problems in totality. We both meet the hero’s needs and propel him into unrivaled success.
Two Quotes
“Never assume people understand how your vision can change their lives. Tell them.” - Donald Miller
“People trust those who understand them, and they trust brands that understand them too.” - Donald Miller
Three Takeaways
1. Every human being is looking for a guide. The goal of marketing and/or recruiting isn’t to talk about how great you are, but to communicate that you understand your client’s needs and that you can help him.
2. Doing a little homework goes a long way. All recruiters know the basics about a potential student-athlete...talent, family, interests, etc. Few know details about the external, internal, and philosophical challenges he’s up against. Even fewer have worked out just how their plan can put that student-athlete on the path to success and can communicate everything with empathy and authority.
3. This isn’t just for recruits. Are you having a challenging time with a current student-athlete? Or with a peer? Take some time and ask, what does he want? What is he struggling with (external/internal/philosophical)? How can I better serve as a guide to him at this time? How can I paint a clearer picture of what’s at stake? How might I give him a better call to action?
*The template for story I highlight above was first identified and outlined in StoryBrand’s Framework from Donald Miller. It’s furthered discussed in his book, Building A Story Brand.
Reduce Friction
One Idea
In terms of improvement over time, there are two strategies for unlocking sustained growth. The first is the most obvious: add force to what it is you’re doing. In team sports, this could be recruiting better talent, teaching better schemes, or playing with more intensity.
The next strategy is less obvious, but it’s easier to attain: reduce friction. This could be correcting mistakes, limiting distractions, or keeping things simple.
Source: kvknox.com
As a rule, reducing friction is easier than adding force.
In his first 15 seasons at UCLA, John Wooden lost 125 games. During that span, his teams were up and down, many finished just above 500, and none reached the Final Four. By no means did he consider this period a waste, though. In fact, Wooden credits his sustained improvement to those early years and learning how to lose.
“Losing is only temporary and not all encompassing. You must study (your losses), learn from it, and try hard not to lose the same way again. Then you must have the self-control to forget about it.”
A key to Coach Wooden’s gradual improvement was his willingness to analyze losses and reduce friction. He said, “try hard not to lose the same way again.” And herein lies one of the few great things about losing: it showcases all the friction we now get to reduce. Frankly, winning probably covered over a multitude of friction points we should’ve corrected weeks ago.
In 1963, UCLA finally broke through. That year, the Bruins went 30-0, and they won the NCAA National Championship. In his final 12 seasons at the school, Wooden only lost 22 games. During that span, his teams won 10 national championships and went undefeated 4 times. Reduce friction, gradually add force, and improvement will accumulate.
Two Quotes
“Don’t run from your weaknesses. You will only give them strength. Face them, and you’re the one who’s strengthened.” - Stephen Richards
“A mistake is valuable if you do four things with it: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” - John Wooden
Three Takeaways
1. This doesn’t get easier; we get stronger. The man who lifts 300 lbs with ease isn’t able to do so because it’s easy, but because he’s gotten stronger. This season won’t get easier, but we will get stronger. Whether by adding force or reducing friction, may this be our continued story.
2. Losing is an event, not a character trait. Tell me, what’s changed? Are we not the same team today we were a week ago, if not better? Yes, losing stings (and losing players really hurts), but it also presents opportunity for improvement and resolve. The emotions of a loss challenge our will, but they don’t threaten our identity.
3. “...Forget it.” Once you recognize the friction, you work to reduce it, and then you forget it. Mistakes of the past are useful until they aren’t, and then we must leave them where they belong, in the past.
Find Your Focus
One Idea
In a marathon, the most obvious distinction between elite runners and average ones is an ability to maintain consistent pacing for the duration of a race. While elite runners gradually improve their splits (minutes per mile) over the course of 26 miles, average runners get slower.* According to distance coach Steve Magness, this is due in large part to ‘deep focus’ ability.
Source: Lutz.us
Deep attentional focus is an ability to keep concentration regardless of changing conditions. While average runners get distracted by physical, emotional, or environmental noise, elite runners only give attention to cues relevant to their goal.
Deep attentional focus asks two questions: ‘What matters?’ and ‘What can I control?’ Almost everything else is ignored.
What matters? There are a lot of things that matter in the world, but not everything is relevant to the immediate goal. Sure, midseason rankings are interesting–and they mean something to somebody–but they are irrelevant to the task at hand come gametime.
What can I control? Not everything that matters is something we can control. As a rule, we can never control: (1) other people**, (2) Mother Nature, & (3) where we started. Deep focus means we give attention only to those things that both matter and are within our control.
Two Quotes
“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” - Bruce Lee
“I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there, you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.” - Zig Ziglar
Three Takeaways
1. Not everything that matters is relevant. Irrelevant to winning Friday night: our win/loss record to this point, the over/under to the game, what the media is saying about our team right now. These things matter (to somebody), but unless they have immediate relevance to the goal, they should be disregarded for the time being.
2. Noise can be good or bad. Bad press and poor weather are obvious distractions NOT to focus on during a game. But, have you considered good press and favorable conditions? Getting caught up in the hype can be just as detrimental to performance and improvement. Be grateful for where we are, but continue to improve. Let’s focus and get faster as the race goes on.
3. We can always control our focus. To be sure, there are a lot of factors distinguishing elite runners from average ones–training, diet, talent, skill, and knowledge, etc. That said, any athlete can choose what to focus on. Be relentless in this regard. Focus only on (1) what matters to the task at hand and (2) what we can control. Finally, let’s hold our focus until the race of this season is over.
*In the 2015 Chicago marathon, elite runners, or those finishing in less than 3 hours, began with an average split of 5:02 minutes per mile. By the end of the race, they improved their pace to a split of 4:42 minutes per mile. Average runners, on the other hand–those finishing in over 5 hours–began the race at 8:14 minutes per mile and slowly digressed to a split of 13:53 minutes per mile upon finishing.
**Although we can always impact people, we can never control them.
The Obstacle Is The Way
One Idea
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the two salesmen in the early 1900s assigned a remote, rural region of the world to sell shoes. After two weeks on the ground, they both send telegrams back to their superiors. The first writes, “Situation hopeless. Stop. They don’t wear shoes here!” The other writes, “Glorious opportunity. They don’t have any shoes yet!”
Source: kvknox.com
One circumstance. Two perspectives. Which is more helpful?
So far this season, I’ve been talking with the team about the power of perception. I’ve argued that if we can change how we think about what we see, what we see changes. There is no good or bad circumstance. There is only the event and the meaning we attach to it.
This is especially true of the obstacles we face. A salesman tasked with selling shoes to people who don’t know what shoes are is an obstacle, but thinking it a good or bad obstacle is entirely up to the salesman.
In his book, The Obstacle Is The Way, author Ryan Holiday suggests that every obstacle we face holds the answer we’re looking for. Holiday writes, “The obstacle in our path must become the path. Within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”
Obstacles are only as terrible or as wonderful as we perceive them. In most cases, our obstacles guide us forward. They provide clarity, needed direction, and help us to see what must happen next.
Two Quotes
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” - Marcus Aurelius
“Where the head goes, the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective. Focus on the moment, not the monsters that may or may not be up ahead.” - Ryan Holiday
Three Takeaways
1. There’s always another way to look at things. Imagine something you’re up against–an obstacle or unexpected circumstance. How is this the best thing that could’ve happened? How is this obstacle showing you the way? What opportunity is presenting itself because of this challenge you face?
2. There is a difference between an event and the emotions we attach to that event. Losing a key team member to injury is an event. That being the worst thing ever is a story we attach to the event. As a leader, it’s your job to maintain ruthless objectivity when faced with challenging circumstances. It’s important for you to distinguish between the events of the season and the stories we tell ourselves about those events.
3. Behind mountains are more mountains. Obstacles everywhere, and that's the whole point. Navigating this challenge with success won’t rid us of any further challenges. Overcoming this obstacle doesn’t lead to a land of no obstacles. What a boring life that would be! No, this journey is made interesting by the challenges we face and the challenges we will face. Your input and creativity is needed because of these many obstacles. Lean in. Embrace the challenge. Expect more and better obstacles to present themselves.
Elite Time
One Idea
Elite athletes and top performers maintain a high level of focus, motivation, and game readiness. Basically, they have an ability to ‘turn it on’ when the time calls for it. Sports psychologists believe this to be the key factor in what separates the best of the best from the rest of the pack. One way to understand how they do this is to talk about time.
The ancient Greeks had two words for time. The first is Chronos, meaning sequential time. Chronos is how most people understand time in today’s world. What time is it, when is this or that scheduled, and what’s happening tomorrow, etc.
The other word the Greeks used for time is Kairos. Kairos means opportune or significant moment. Think of your wedding day or the week you got fired. These moments stand out because of their uniqueness and nonpermanence. If Chronos is measured in minutes, Kairos is measured in moments.
Elite performers live in a world of Kairos. They access high levels of intensity and focus, in part, because they understand the liminality and significance of a given moment. Where the average athlete has to look for motivation to get pumped up for game day, the elite athlete understands what kind of moment it is and calls forth the peak state of mind necessary to perform.
Two Quotes
“Amateurs sit around and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” - Stephen King
“We only have one life and one body to care for, and we better do it right. You never know what tomorrow may bring, so live this life the best you can and be grateful for everything you have.” - Novak Djokovic
Three Takeaways
1. Kairos time gives weight to ordinary things. Kairos time has a way of connecting dots that Chronos time never will. How much you sleep tonight affects well you’ll think tomorrow, so you better get your rest. What you eat for lunch now affects how much energy you’ll have later this afternoon, so choose wisely. Keeping up with social media all week affects the kind of emotional energy you’ll have this weekend for the game, so maybe encourage your guys to get off their phones and deal with real people. (I say that kindly).
2. The next fifteen minutes could change everything. What would change if you gave the next fifteen minutes of your day your complete attention, focus, and effort? Maybe you need to take a fifteen minute break, call your daughter, ask her how she’s doing, or just remind her that you love her? Perhaps it’s time to stop putting off that difficult conversation with a colleague, get up, walk to his office, and finally clear the air? I don’t know what needs to happen, but you probably do. The next fifteen minutes could change everything if you’re willing to see it as more than just the next fifteen minutes of your day.
3. Some moments are bigger than others. The average person today lives 28,735 days. That includes 4,105 weekends. At most, the 2019 California Golden Bear football team will only get 15 of those 4,105 weekends to play football against a live opponent. At this writing–again, best case scenario–only 13 opportunities remain. Carpe diem, friends. Seize the day.
The Plateau of Latent Potential
One Idea
A stonecutter hits away at a rock 100 times without a dent. And then, on the 101st hit, the rock splits in half. Now, everyone celebrates the 101st hit because it’s the moment of breakthrough, but it’s the 100 hits before it that made the rock break.
In terms of progress and performance, there is often a delay between what we think should happen and what actually happens. We work and work and are confused when results don’t align with our expectations. But progress isn’t linear. Desired results are often delayed.
Photo by jamesclear.com
This is a key insight of James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. In it, he discusses what he calls The Plateau of Latent Potential →
Clear calls the delay between expectations and results the Plateau of Latent Potential, or the ‘Valley of Disappointment’, because people often get discouraged when weeks or even months of hard work take time to produce the breakthrough event.
All big things come from small beginnings, though. Even the tiniest improvements, if consistently applied, realize their moment of breakthrough. “The work is never wasted,” says Clear, “it’s simply stored.”
What Clear calls the ‘Valley of Disappointment’ could just as easily be seen as the Valley of Vision or the Canyon of Resolve, because it takes vision to stay the course pre-breakthrough, and it requires resolve to maintain consistent effort when the desired result takes its time to mature.
Two Quotes
“Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from 25 to 31 degrees. All the action happens at 32 degrees.” - James Clear
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.” - James Clear
Three Takeaways
1. The work is never wasted IF consistent effort is applied. The key to this whole theory is continuing to pound the rock. If you stop work at the 99th strike, or even the 100th, the rock remains intact. But if you keep hitting, the breakthrough event will come.
2. There’s no such thing as overnight success. When you do finally break through the plateau, people may see it as an overnight success. But you know all of the work that preceded it. While most people only see the dramatic events, you know the work you did long ago that made today’s breakthrough possible.
3. The Plateau of Latent Potential is why coaches are absolutely essential. A 19-year-old, far from home and busy with school, can’t always see what his or her coach can see. He’s often discouraged, disillusioned, or worse, and it’s, in part, the coach’s job to encourage consistency and the promise of the coming breakthrough event. Hold the vision, encourage your athletes, and don’t get discouraged as the valley doesn’t last forever.
Start With Why
One Idea
Most people don’t lack motivation, they lack clarity. They know what they’re supposed to do, some even how to do it, but if they aren’t clear on why it’s important–the greater purpose, cause, or conviction behind it all–they’ll give up when things are tough or the price gets too high.
This is a key insight of Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why. In it, he argues that clarity of vision is the driving force behind emotional stability and disciplined decision making. He says that companies and organizations that clearly communicate why they do what they do consistently outperform their competitors.
Perhaps the most useful tool from the book is what Sinek calls, The Golden Circle →
WHAT represents the general task at hand. In college football, WHAT is to win football games. WHAT is not unique, in that every football team in America wants to win.
HOW represents the strategy by which the task at hand will be attempted. Some organizations know HOW they’ll do what they do (eg, a preferred scheme on offense or defense, a philosophy of practice, etc.)
WHY is something few organizations know or do well. WHY is not to win football games; that is a result. WHY is the greater purpose, cause, or conviction behind it all. It is the core value(s) or vision driving everything within the organization.
Two Quotes
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” - Simon Sinek
“Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love (our WHY is clear) is called passion.” - Simon Sinek
Three Takeaways
Indicators your why isn’t clear enough:
1. You (think you) lack motivation. You don’t lack motivation, you lack clarity. Get a clear, compelling vision, and you won’t need motivation to get up and get after it.
2. You complain all the time. Complaints are the byproduct of a foggy vision. If the promise is clear, the price is easy to pay.
3. You find yourself cutting corners. 5-star athletes (WHAT) who know your system (HOW) aren’t worth your time if they don’t also share your values (WHY).