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. 

Lessons from a Delayed Flight

On the way back from Central America yesterday my flight had a layover in Houston. One hour gave way to two, then three, and by the time we took off the flight had been delayed nearly six hours.

But a remarkable thing took shape as I looked around the terminal. I didn't see a single person complain. Yes, people were understandably frustrated, tired, and wanted to know what was going on but everyone maintained a sense of poise. And at the root of their poise was an understanding there was simply nothing they could do about the situation.

Instead, I saw passengers use the time productively by catching up on work, reading, writing, and enjoying the company of family and friends. There were a handful of strangers who even bonded over the minor setback. 

Sitting at gate C43 turned out to be an unexpected master class.

You're Closer than You Think -- Lessons from Long Distance Swimmer Florence Chadwick

In 1952, a woman named Florence Chadwick decided to attempt to swim the 26 miles between the California coastline and Catalina Island.

During her swim to Catalina she traveled with a team who kept an out for sharks and were ready to assist in the event of cramps, injury, or fatigue. About 15 hours into her swim a thick fog began to set in, which clouded not only her vision but sense of confidence. Chadwick's mother happened to be in one of the boats at the time and listened as her daughter told her she didn't believe she could make it. She went on for another hour before deciding to quit. As she sat in the teetering boat she discovered if she'd just swam another mile she would have reached the island.

Many people quit a dream right on the brink of its realization. It's often when the most challenges set in that we're actually getting closer. If we learn to not let a little fog discourage our confidence and fortitude we'll find that it fades creating that clarity to move forward. 

But what's important to remember is the fog never permanently stays away. It comes and goes just as doubts do. The key is to recognize the value of forging along anyway -- to bring your own weather when it comes to pursuing meaningful endeavors. Keeping your poise is an essential skill and will enable you to navigate through moments of uncertainty. 

Two months after Chadwick's failed attempt she tried the swim once more. Again, a thick fog set in. But this time she had a mental image of the shoreline in her mind as she pushed herself along. Not only did she succeed the second time, but she ended up making the same swim two other times.

Chadwick was also the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, doing so in record times.

What Striking Out in Slow Pitch Softball Taught Me

There are few events more humbling in life than striking out in slow pitch softball. Yet, for the first time in 13 years I managed to do just that last night. As strange as it sounds I was able to tease out several lessons from something so seemingly trivial, though I suspect it'll be quite some time before I live it down. (especially with my little brother) In any event, I took away some important realizations.

When I stepped to the plate I saw that there were two runners on base. We were down a few runs and there were two outs. I wanted so desperately to drive them in and slowly inch our way back toward victory that I swung as hard as I possibly could. "I knew you were going to strike out,"my brother later told me. You were trying to hit a 5-run homer. 

Lesson: You can't try and do too much at once. No matter the situation, keep your poise, do what you can, and don't be afraid to rely on your team.

Later on, a ball was hit in my direction in left field. The runner decided to try and stretch his hit into a double. I rifled the ball from the outfield failing to hit the shortstop for the tag. I was still thinking about my previous at-bat which had a direct influence on how I played for the remainder of the game.

Lesson: Let things go and start anew. If you don't, you'll allow your past to adversely affect the next thing you're trying to accomplish in the moment.

Believe it or not, towards the end of the game I was still ruminating about my poor performance in the game. What can I say? I hate losing. Still, I quickly realized all of the other players were in good spirits and had already forgotten about the game. It's softball after all. 

Lesson: People are so concerned about themselves they don't have time to worry about you. We're all selfish beings in our own way, wired to look out for ourselves. If there's something you're hung up on and worried others are stuck on something you've done (especially something as trivial as a poor performance in a softball rec league) you're kidding yourself. Be liberated by the fact others have moved on. You should too.

If anything, I also learned there's potential for a life lesson or two to be drawn from just about any experience. You just have to look for it.

No Matter How Tempting, Don't Get Flustered

Ever have one of those days where you feel like all you're doing is putting out fires? You lock yourself out of your apartment, there's a hiccup with technology you depend on, or someone didn't honor a commitment?

You can bet money those days will occur throughout your life no matter how many contingency plans you've mentally mapped out. It's just a integral part of life.

The good news is we can control how we react. We can choose to keep our poise and not give into feeling flustered. We may not instantly have a clear sense of how to resolve a particular issue, but by tempering the role emotion plays we can at least set the foundation for digging ourselves out.

Perspective is rarely, if ever, gained while worked up. Keep your cool.