What Coach K taught me last week
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Written by Travis Hansen.
I traveled with my Dad and two sons, Ryder and Mason, to the Duke vs Utah Valley University game last week in Durham, North Carolina. Coach K won his 1,000 win for Duke and at the end of the game he said;
“We can’t think about what was, even though it has been a remarkable and we can't think about what will be, even though we hope for great things. We must think about now. Enjoy this moment at this time with this team.”
Coach K is the John Wooden of our times. A remarkable man who has achieved greatness without losing himself or his family.
Coach K has learned the formula for success while understanding that time doesn't stop. There are days when life goes by at a hundred miles an hour and other days when you feel like you are walking through mud. Too many of us are in the river of life hoping to grab a tree branch so we can catch a breath before we fall back in. The wise ones find a way to the shore, climb out and take time to watch the river as it passes by. They do this by making a plan, by meeting with mentors, advisors, and friends they look up to.
Coach K has taught us that success in almost anything is accomplished in nearly the same way. You figure out what you want to accomplish. You figure out the best steps to get there. You work harder than everyone else and rabidly persist in implementing your plan. (This is the uncomfortable part.) You evaluate, adjust and rabidly persist some more while being humble enough to stop and ask for help when needed.
Coach K has proven this formula works in sports. Works in business. Works in marriage and family.
Time is ticking, the river is running, each of us can take the same approach to life as Coach K. If we do so with persistence and complete confidence, we will be successful.