Motivational Quotes
Coach John Wooden inspired the best of the best
“Woodenisms”
John Wooden’s most famous motivational quotes were often called Woodenisms for their simplicity and subtle guiding message. Here are 11 pearls of wisdom from the mind and heart of John Wooden:
- “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
- “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
- “Make each day your masterpiece.”
- “Never lie, never cheat, never steal.”
- “Nothing will work unless you do.”
- “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
- “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
- “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”
- “The best competition I have is against myself to become better.”
- “Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”
- “Young people need models, not critics.”
Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
John WoodenIn John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success, Coach identified the essential behaviors and traits of a successful person. Here are motivational quotes about some of these important traits. »
Quotes About “Competitive Greatness”
“All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.”
“If there’s anything you could point out where I was a little different, it was the fact that I never mentioned winning.”
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
“Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.”
Quotes About “Industriousness”
“Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
“Earn the right to be proud and confident.”
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Success is 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.”
Quotes About “Poise”
“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
“Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.”
“I think you have to be what you are. Don’t try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself at all times.”
“Well, if you’re true to yourself you’re going to be true to everyone else.”
Quotes About “Self-Control”
“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
“Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to.”
“I had three rules for my players: No profanity. Don’t criticize a teammate. Never be late.”
“It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.”
Quotes About “Skill”
“Ability is a poor man’s wealth.”
“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”
“Just try to be the best you can be; never cease trying to be the best you can be. That’s in your power.”
“I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”
“It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others
think you are.
John Wooden Motivational Quote Archive
“Ability is a poor man’s wealth.”
“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.”
“All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.”
“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
“Be prepared and be honest.”
“Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
“Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books—especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.”
“Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating…too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.”
“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
“Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.”
“Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to.”
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
“Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.”
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”
“Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.”
“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”
“Earn the right to be proud and confident.”
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
“Happiness begins where selfishness ends.”
“I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs.”
“I don’t believe in fate.”
“I don’t believe in praying to win.”
“I don’t think I was a fine game coach. I’m trying to be honest. I think I was a good practice coach.”
“I had three rules for my players: No profanity. Don’t criticize a teammate. Never be late.”
“I like to spend time in the past, with the things that have been important to me.”
“I seldom was ever off my seat on the bench during the game.”
“I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn’t try to run their lives.”
“I think permitting the game to become too physical takes away a little bit of the beauty.”
“I think that in any group activity—whether it be business, sports or family—there has to be leadership or it won’t be successful.”
“I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.”
“I think you have to be what you are. Don’t try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself at all times.”
“I worry that business leaders are more interested in material gain than they are in having the patience to build up a strong organization, and a strong organization starts with caring for their people.”
“I’d be satisfied just coaching in high school. I turned down a number of colleges when I was teaching in South Bend, Indiana, before I went into the service. I honestly believe that if I hadn’t enlisted in the service, I would never have left high school teaching. I’m sure I would have never left.”
“I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”
“If a player’s not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He’ll come around.”
“If I am through learning, I am through.”
“If I were a young coach today, I would be extremely careful in selecting assistants.”
“If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.”
“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
“If there’s anything you could point out where I was a little different, it was the fact that I never mentioned winning.”
“I’m glad I was a teacher.”
“I’m no wizard, and I don’t like being thought of in that light at all. I think of a wizard as being some sort of magician or something, doing something on the sly or something, and I don’t want to be thought of in that way.”
“In the end, it’s about the teaching, and what I always loved about coaching was the practices. Not the games, not the tournaments, not the alumni stuff. But teaching the players during practice was what coaching was all about to me.”
“It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”
“It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.”
“It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”
“It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.”
“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
“Just do the best you can. No one can do more than that.”
“Just try to be the best you can be; never cease trying to be the best you can be. That’s in your power.”
“Listen if you want to be heard”
“Love is the most important thing in the world. Hate, we should remove from the dictionary.”
“Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.”
“Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them and your foes won’t believe them.”
“Never mistake activity for achievement.”
“Never try to be better than someone else. Learn from others, and try to be the best you can be. Success is the by-product of that preparation.”
“No one can really honestly be the very best, no one.”
“Nothing will work unless you do.”
“Passion is momentary; love is enduring.”
“Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.”
“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”
“Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
“Teaching players during practices was what coaching was all about to me.”
“Tell the truth. That way you don’t have to remember a story.”
“The best competition I have is against myself to become better.”
“The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”
“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”
“The most important thing in the world is family and love.”
“The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.”
“There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.”
“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
“Today is the only day. Yesterday is gone.”
“We can have no progress without change, whether it be basketball or anything else.”
“Well, if you’re true to yourself you’re going to be true to everyone else.”
“Well, your greatest joy definitely comes from doing something for another, especially when it was done with no thought of something in return.”
“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.”
“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”
“When you hurry you’re more apt to make mistakes. But you have to be quick. If you’re not quick, you can’t get things done.”
“Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.”
“You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes”
“You can do more good by being good than any other way.”
“You can lose when you outscore somebody in a game. And you can win when you’re outscored.”
“You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.”
“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”