Fundamentals Fundamentals Fundamentals

Those familiar with famed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden may already know how he traditionally ran his first practice of the season. As fresh-faced and spry 18-year old freshmen were chomping at the bit to get on the court and show their stuff, Wooden supposedly spent the bulk of the time showing the young men how to put on their socks and tie their shoes. Future hall-of-famers like Luke Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looked on in bewilderment wondering if they were being put on.

In time, they would go on to appreciate the coach's unorthodox methods. What Wooden was trying to teach his young players was the necessity of first mastering the fundamentals no matter how well you think you already know them. Showing someone how to properly put on a pair of socks may seem ridiculous but if they're too tight you're likely to get blisters after running up and down the court for hours and having to stop on a dime. In other words, too often we want to just jump in before mastering the basics. 

What Wooden understood was poise, patience, and mastery of the fundamentals were essential to being world class. His 10 national championships in 12 years, including 7 years in a row seem like a pretty strong argument for his belief system. 

Watch How You Talk to Yourself

There's a difference between having high standards and simply berating yourself. As a young drama student I certainly towed the line. "I could have done that better, I should have worked harder, or My performance was totally unacceptable," were all too common remarks I'd make in grad school. 

Looking back, I realize how incredibly pointless it all was, and in some ways, even destructive. Over time, you start to believe the way you speak about yourself. You're essentially conditioning your belief system through the words you speak, the thoughts you think.

If the philosophy you project about yourself is not in harmony with your highest sense of self your potential gradually begins to erode. You stop trying, you buy into the negative chatter, and you invest a great deal in what others think about you.

The way to counter this is to regularly check in with yourself and ask "Why?" What is the root of my beliefs? Are there any grounds for thinking these thoughts? And finally, what can I learn from this?

In other words, be vigilant. Keep a watchful eye over how you speak to yourself and steer them accordingly.