A Definition That Makes Success an Equal Opportunity Player

After taking a position teaching high school English at the age of 24, John Wooden soon grew frustrated with the grading system he was required to use and felt compelled to help his students better understand success as a result of personal effort. 

He thought of his father’s advice:

“Never try to be better than anyone else, but never stop trying to be the best you can be.” 

He remembered his high school math teacher, Mr. Scheidler, and his essay challenge to define success. 

Then Coach recalled a verse of poetry he had recently read: 

At God's footstool to confess,
A poor soul knelt and bowed his head.
“I failed,” he cried. The Master said,
“Thou didst thy best, that is success.”
 
A Definition Created

These influences helped Coach Wooden coin his definition of success in 1934:

"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

A Pyramid Built

The definition satisfied Wooden for a short while, but he quickly realized it was insufficient. He needed something more concrete – more visual. So he spent the next 14 years identifying 25 behaviors he believed were necessary to achieve his idea of success. This search culminated in a simple but profound diagram Wooden called "The Pyramid of Success", which he completed in 1948.

Nearly six decades later these foundational behaviors have weathered the test of time - unchanged, full of wisdom, as rock-solid as the first day Coach established the cornerstones of Industriousness and Enthusiasm. 

Sources:  

The John R. Wooden Course® http://woodencourse.com 

The Official Site of Coach John Wooden http://www.coachwooden.com/