One of the most successful coaches in US college history John Wooden gives a very interesting talk at TED about success – this man knows more about success than most people know about being average.
He had the ability to see the talents of his players and came to recognize that many moderately talented players were actually a lot more successful than highly talented players in that they often came much closer to actualizing their potential.
To this end he created his own definition of success:
Peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing
you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.
This definition has very little to do with the outcome and everything to do with the process. And when we get right down to it, the process is what we have control over. There are going to be days when we are beaten by people who have more skill, talent or luck, but, if we are successful, we will never be beaten by ourselves. We will deliver 100% of what we are capable of so win or lose we will be successful.
Watch the video to get some insight into why he eliminated winning from his definition of success – hint, as the winningest coach in UCLA history, with a streak of 88 games, he was often consider unsuccessful because his team didn’t win by enough.