“Stop your whining.”
“I’m not whining.”
“You are — a lot. And stop it.”
So I went back to my office, and plopped down at my desk.
I’d been ask to do something. I didn’t want to do it. I wasn’t whining. It was a stupid job.
Then, luckily, I remembered my 3 cards. I pulled them out and read them.
I put them back in my desk, went back to his office, and said, “You’re right — I was whining. Let’s do this.”
3 Cards
Those three simple little cards saved my bacon.
The job — the one I didn’t want to do — turned out to be a critical part of a much bigger project at my school. If I’d gone off on my whiney-way and hadn’t straightened up, the project could failed, and people could’ve lost a lot, maybe even a job.
Those cards set me straight. Each held one bit of wisdom.
They helped me make a decision. See where I was wrong.
They told me to grow up.
The Power
The cards themselves weren’t special. They were simple, little, index cards. White. Not lined. Bought at the Dollar Tree — 100 for $1.
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However, what was on them was priceless.
Wisdom that I’ve turned to often in 35 years of coaching.
On each card was one simple question, and my answer.
The power was not in my answer, but as in most of life, the power was in the questions.
Here are the three questions:
Question #1: Why do I coach?
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Question #2: What is my coaching-philosophy 3 words?
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Question #3: What do I expect from my coaching?
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Where’s My Rudder
Times when I feel I’m in a boat without a rudder, I refer to those cards. They help.
For instances, recently, I was faced with a dilemma. We were scheduled to travel a long way to race in a city which was was having a significant challenge. Terrorists had just attacked innocent people, and had not been caught. They were lose. And we were supposed to leave, in an hour, and travel, compete, and stay very close to where the search was taken place.
It was a simple choice. The answer was on card #2.
It wasn’t a smooth choice, with hotels being cancelled and athletes being dissapointed. But it was the right decision. And the cards helped.
My Challenge To You
Now — not tomorrow — but now, find 3 index cards. Color or size don’t matter. Put them in front of you. Grab a pencil.
On each card write one of the 3 questions.
On the flip side, write your answer.
Put them away for 24 hours.
Then pull them out and edit your answer. Then stash them again.
Do this for one week, every day.
At the end of the week you’ve got a powerful tool that will separate you from your peers, and impact your coaching.
Read them once every day. Pull them out when you are stuck.
Be ready to change them as you spend more time coaching. That’s your right.
Try it for one week. Tell me how it goes.
And if you’d like to see what I’ve got written on my cards, click here.
-Mike
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