New Rule for the Book of Life

You may or may not have noticed that last week I added a rule to "Carl's Rules for the Book of Life" on the right side of this blog. I had intended to blog about this new rule the night I added it however life got in the way. In a way me slacking off actually lends itself to the topic of this entry because the newest rule is a quote from legendary UCLA Bruins coach John Wooden. He won 10 National Titles in 12 years, so this man knows a little bit about success. I own his book, "Wooden on Leadership", which chronicles his Pyramid of Success that he used to build his program at UCLA and by which he lived his life. The book is a great resource and is filled with tons of valuable quotes and stories. I knew that I wanted to use it for my own rules, but didn't know what quote or lesson to use at first. And then, in the midst of what has been a pretty exciting time of my life, it hit me--"Nothing will work unless you do."

Simple, to the point, and brutally true. In my life the times which I have been a success have usually been predicated on the effort I have dedicated to being a success. And now that I am in a relatively successful period I need to reaffirm this maxim because I know how easy it can be for me to let it all slip away. We have been on break for the last week and I have done the bare minimum required for my job, have allowed myself to slack off on my schoolwork, and have not utilized the free time to organize my environment. Now I know the value of relaxation and fun as it relates to my quality of life, however I think it is pretty obvious in this situation that I have done a poor job managing my time and motivating myself. Applying Rule #3 to my life is imperative for me to finish this semester off strong, to set myself up for continued success, and to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

So in honor of John Wooden, I am going to try and get caught up on some of the work that I have not been doing. And while I do that I encourage you to enjoy this video that highlights my favorite actor of all time showcasing his rapping abilities:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.