Most of us would agree that we are constantly on a quest to improve. We are trying to make things better in our jobs, our health, our families, and our futures. But what I have seen so often in coaches and other accomplished and driven professionals is that they are so busy trying to get ahead, so immersed in telling their story, so caught up in letting people know what they know, that they are actually staying right where they are. Right where they have been. There is no growth. There is no improvement. Just a lot of talk.
I’d like to share a simple philosophy that I have tried to live by in my professional life. It states simply that one should go through life with “big eyes, big ears, and a small mouth.” I feel comfortable saying that not only do I live this every day, but I feel certain it has helped me reach the professional level I have been fortunate to reach. It is the single biggest contributing factor to my growth in this profession as well as my personal improvement.
I encourage you to use your eyes and your ears more than you use your mouth. In my own illogical way I believe that anything that comes out of my mouth is something I already know. If you already know it then you are not getting any information that can help you improve — or as I often say, “I know what I know but to get better I need to know what you know!”
Take more time to look around and observe things that can help you get better. Take the time to listen to things being said that can help you get to where you want to go. Look, listen, observe, LEARN; and then take what you learned and put it into action. That is how you will fulfill your dreams. I have found that I can often wow people more by listening and looking than I can by talking.
To learn is to improve. To improve is to advance. To advance is to get closer to reaching your goals and aspirations. To reach your goals and aspirations is to fulfill your dreams. And to fulfill your dreams is one of the most satisfying things you can do for yourself. And with that satisfaction in knowing that you accomplished what you set out to accomplish, you will be more likely to repeat this process. It’s a cycle of success.
Amazing what can happen if we keep our mouths shut and our ears and eyes open!
Another great post coach. It’s funny, as someone who has been fortunate enough to work a number of summer camps and showcase events, it amazes me how many people at these events are operating under the opposite premise. So many people are like walking talking resumes telling everyone what it is they know and can do. Then when professional and college coaches come in a lecture they are not paying attention and/or too busy trying to make an impression. Then when you hear them ask questions or speak, you realize that all that talk and they have no idea what it is they are talking about. I know for me you have been a mentor, not just in how you teach, but how you carry yourself. And I am constantly challenging myself to be a better student and teacher of the game. I just wish more of us as coaches were doing the same, because when we are so busy talking, we miss an opportunity to learn something new that we can bring back and help our players with. Too many coaches think its about us, when in reality, especially at the high school and college levels, it should be about the players, and how we can be of assistance in their continued development.