Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

Your Own Standard of Success

Don’t measure yourself by what you’ve accomplished, but rather by what you should have accomplished with your abilities.

This goes right back to my definition of success. Make the effort to do the best of which you are capable. Can anyone possibly do more than that?

Have you ever heard of Conrad Burke or Doug McIntosh? Probably not, but they were as successful as any players I ever coached at UCLA or anywhere else (including those who went on to play professional basketball). These two players came close to fully maximizing their abilities.

However, when they first came in (during different years), I looked at each one to see what he had and then said to myself, “Oh gracious, if he can make a real contribution, a ...