61It’sNeverTooLatetoChange
Ageisnocriterionwhenitcomestochangingyourlife.
Infact,itmightbejusttheopposite.
Theolderweget,themorewemustchange.
Changeiswhatkeepsusfreshandinnovative.
Changeiswhatkeepsusfromgettingstaleandstuckinarut.
Thisisnoteasy.
Whenweareyoungit'seasytochangeandexperimentwithdifferentthings.
Theolderwegetthemoresetinourwayswebecome.
We'vefoundoutwhatourcomfortlevelis,andweallwanttostayinit.
Wedon'twanttoberisktakersanymore,becauseriskfrightensus,
andsimplynotchangingseemssoeasy.
Wemustfightthroughthis.
Wemustlookfearstraightintheeyeandtakeiton.
Wemusttellourselvesthatwehavetoomuchtalent,toomuchwisdom,
toomuchvaluenottochange.
IbelievethatJim,whoisonmystaff,
isoneofthebestassistantcoachesinthecountry.
ButIalmostdidn'thirehimthreeyearsago
becauseIthoughtthatpsychologicallyhewastoo"old,"
thathehadlostthedriveandpassionthatanassistantcoachneeds.
Threeyearsagohewasforty,andIthought
hemighthavespenttoomanySaturdayafternoonsatthecountryclub,
thathewasn'tgoingtogetinthetrenchesanymore,
liketheyoungerassistantcoachesdo.
ButJimtoldmethathecouldn'twaittogetdowninthetrenchesagain.
SoIhiredhim,andhe'sbeenanintegralpartofoursuccess.
Thereisaconventionalwisdomincoachingthatonceyou'vebeenaheadcoach
youcan'tenthusiasticallygobacktobeinganassistantagain
andstillhavethesamepassionasbefore.
Jimdidn'tbuyintothat.
Hedidn'tlethis"oldage"getinhisway.
Hewasreadywhenopportunitycamecalling.
Hereestablishedaworkethicsecondtononewiththeeagernessofapersonrightoutofcollege.
AndI'mthankfulforwhathedid,
becauseheplayedsuchanessentialroleinourchampionshipseason.
Thisiswhatweallmustdo.
Wemustrealizethatit'snevertoolatetobeginmakingchanges
thatcantransformourlife.
