"Tex's system helps... players to play basketball with a capital B instead of indulging their self-interest. The principles of the system are the code of honor that everybody on the team has to live by. We put them on the chalkboard and talk about them almost every day. The principles serves as a mirror that shows each player how well they're doing with respect to the team mission." -- Phil Jackson
Besides the moral that successful teams put the group's goals ahead of the individual, it seems important to have a repeated and clear purpose. Simple things like taking pride in passing the ball to an open teammate is easily forgotten against the thrill of being the scoring leader. Our natural focus is ourselves, which is rightly so for hunger and thirst but can also slip into other aspects. The human mind wanders so easily, that it's perfectly all right to use devices to remind ourselves of our highest goals and keep us on track. Repetition can be dull, or even seem silly, but used properly it strengthens the very neural pathways in our brains, and sharpens focus.
No comments:
Post a Comment