Four years ago today changed my life, forever. I was still newly married with little money. My wife and I donated plasma to bring home a little more income and to help pay her tuition. I saved a month’s plus worth of donation to help pay for my flight to Los Angeles. Coach George Raveling had invited me down to his office to meet, and there was nothing that was going to stop me from having that opportunity. I remember being so nervous, I could barely muster the strength to knock on his office door. I arrived 30-45 minutes before our scheduled time and anxiously paced around the building.

I had just finished my first season coaching before moving to finish my master’s degree and for my wife to take a job. I was currently out of coaching and desperate to get back in. At this point Coach was still serving as International Director of Basketball at Nike. Coach and I had planned to discuss my personal growth strategy that Tuesday afternoon. As we began speaking, the conversation quickly centered around coaching. He knew that was my love. He knew I was passionate about being a coach. He knew I felt like it was a calling. And he inspired me to do everything in my power to get back into coaching.

I’ve thought about this day every day for the past 4 years, and that’s not an exaggeration. As I re-read notes, depending on where I’m currently at in life, different aspects of our conversation speak to me differently. I recently finished “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, which has tied back into the lessons I learned from Coach. In the simplest of terms, I think there’s two big factors in obtaining what we desire.

1. Habits
2. Control what you can control, specifically how you think

Here are some thought provoking and inspiring questions Coach Rav asked me. I encourage you to ask yourself the same questions.

• What’s most important to me right now?
• What do you really want to do with your life?
• What are you willing to sacrifice?
• How do I get above average?
• Who can help me see what I don’t see?
• What do I need to know? What don’t I know?
• How will I acquire unique knowledge to set myself apart?
• Who do I listen to?
• Where, when, and how do I want to get there?
• Is success material to me?

Here’s some advice Coach Rav shared. He taught me to continually pursue and acquire knowledge, particularly through books.

• Secure transferrable skills (communication, leadership, problem solving) – pick a skill and study everything you can about it for a year
• Create a 5-year plan and take smart risks to make it happen
• Make adjustments to your plan, just like you would if coaching a game
• Be simplistic and realistic
• Never take a job for the money, take it for the opportunity
• If you’re as good as you think you are, you’ll get paid
• Growth habits leads you to a destination
• Be committed and disciplined to your plan
• Once you commit, walk the walk
• Surround yourself with amazingly intelligent people
• Build good habits to grow – They’ll compete against your other interests
• Commit to growth and success – acquire and master skills
• Be authentic because you’ll be more relatable
• Sustain success, learn lessons, fortify experience
• Hold yourself accountable to the responsibility you have to be yourself
• Lead yourself – If you can’t lead yourself you can’t lead someone else
• Control what you can control, particularly how you think
• Take charge of your life and you’ll be more productive
• Validate yourself or you won’t be who you really are

I had decided to make Coach Rav a mentor of mine before I met him. When I was able to meet him face to face, he made the comment that he had mentors that he had never met in person. Coach inspired me that day like he’s inspired so many before me. My hope is you’ll leave feeling inspired as well.

“If there’s going to be a positive difference in my life, I have to initiate it.” Coach George Raveling