John Wooden was the legendary coach of UCLA’s college basketball team. He was responsible for winning 10 out of 12 national championships from 1964 to 1975, including 7 in a row. John Wooden was known for being a simple man that achieved record-breaking success by staying true to his values. His book is packed with his perspectives that can be applied to becoming a better leader as well as a better person.
**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material below. These quotes are taken directly from the book Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court. All credit should go to John Wooden, Steve Jamison, and the McGraw Hill company.**
I have put the most impactful quotes in bold. Read them twice.
John Wooden’s Favorite Maxims
- Happiness begins where selfishness ends
- If you do not have the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?
- What is right is more important than who is right.
- As long as you try your best, you are never a failure. That is, unless you blame others.
- Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.
- If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.
- Never be disagreeable just because you disagree.
- Be slow to criticize and quick to commend.
- Don’t permit fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all imperfect and will fail on occasions, but fear of failure is the greatest failure of all.
- “Material things are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Do not mistake activity for achievement
- Acquire peace of mind by making the effort to become the best of which you are capable of.
Best Quotes from Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court
“Make each day your masterpiece.”
“Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did our best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
“You must know who you are and be true to who you are if you are going to be who you can and should become. You must have the courage to be true to yourself.”
“You have to apply yourself each day to become a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time you will become a lot better. Only then will you be able to approach being the best you can be. It begins by trying to make each day count and knowing you can never make up for a lost day.”
“So often we fail to acknowledge what we have because we’re so concerned about what we want. We fail to give real thanks for the many blessings for which we did nothing: our life itself, the flowers, the trees, our family and friends. This moment. All of our blessings we take for granted so much of the time.”
“A wise person once observed, ‘How much more pleasant this world would be if we magnified our blessings the way we magnify our disappointments.’”
Dad’s Creed
“I am not what I ought to be,
Not what I want to be,
Not what I am going to be,
But I am thankful that I am better than I used to be.”
“Be more concerned with you character than your reputation. Character is what you really are. Reputation is what people say you are.”
“You should learn as if you were going to live forever, and live as if you were going to die tomorrow.”
“Know that when you are through learning, you are through.”
“There is nothing wrong with having faults so long as you work conscientiously to correct them. How hard you work at correcting your faults reveals your character.”
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” – Calvin Coolidge
“Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.”
“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value” – Albert Einstein
“Never try to be better than someone else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be. That is under your control. The other isn’t.”
“Too often we neglect our journey in or eagerness or anxiety about reaching the goal.”
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“You can make mistakes, but you aren’t a failure until you start blaming others for those mistakes.”
“Without proper self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.”
“You have control only over the present, right now.”
“My thoughts were directed towards preparation, our journey, not the results of the effort.”
“Understand there is a price to be paid or achieving anything of significance. You must be willing to pay the price.”
“The goal I believe is important is the goal of making the most of your abilities. That goal is within your reach.”
“Do not become too concerned about what others may thing of you. Be very concerned about what you think of yourself.”
Eight Suggestions for Succeeding
- Fear no opponent. Respect every opponent.
- Remember, it is the perfection of the smallest details that make big things happen.
- Keep in mind that hustle makes up for many a mistake.
- Be more interested in character than reputation.
- Be quick, but don’t hurry.
- Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have.
- Know that valid self-analysis is crucial for improvement.
- Remember that there is no substitute for hard work and careful planning. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
“Mistakes come from doing, but so does success. The individual who is mistake-free is also probably sitting around doing nothing. And that is a very big mistake.”
“Promise to give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.”
“Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.”
“Adversity often produces the unexpected opportunity. Look for it. Appreciate and utilize it. This is difficult to do if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re faced with the adversity.”
“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but rather by what you should have accomplished with your abilities.”
“You must never stand still. You’re either moving upward a little bit or you are going the other way. You can’t expect to go upward too quickly, but you can sure go down very quickly.”
“We get stronger when we test ourselves. Adversity can make us better. We must be challenged to improve, and adversity is the challenger.”
“Fairness is giving all people the treatment they earn and deserve. It doesn’t mean treating everyone alike. That’s unfair, because everyone doesn’t earn the same treatment.”
“A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example.”
“I will do the best I am capable of doing today to bring out my best tomorrow.”
“Develop a love for details. They usually accompany success.”
“If you get caught up in things over which you have no control, it will adversely affect those things over which you have control.”
“There is a choice you have to make, in everything you do. And you must always keep in mind the choice you make, makes you.” – Anonymous
“Those that matter don’t mind and those that mind don’t matter.” – Pearl Mesta
Playing the Infinite Game 