Leadership, Management & Life in the Workplace
  • Blog
  • About John
  • Decoding the Workplace
  • Dr. Juran AIG Archival Project
  • Contact
  • Disclaimers

Maurice Clarett: "Where Do You Want to Go?"

8/17/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
That life is a journey is illustrated in the story of Maurice Clarett. Clarett helped the Ohio State University Buckeyes win the 2002 BCS football championship game. Convicted of aggravated robbery and weapons charges, Clarett spent 43 months in prison. In prison he read and wrote and reevaluated. His story is chronicled in Sports Illustrated’s Summer Double Issue (July 8-15). Here are two bits of wisdom from that story worth repeating.

In prison Clarett encouraged a fellow inmate, Orlando Payne, giving him hope, and sharing his books (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; Rich Dad, Poor Dad, etc.). He encouraged Payne to read the dictionary. “Every day, Maurice taught me to never let my past dictate my future.”

My Take-away: We are creatures of habit. We take what is before us. But we have the freedom to make changes, though some may be very hard. Bono and Edge echo this them in “Rise Above” from Spiderman: Turn off the Dark. A corollary is that over time we may change incrementally and fail to recognize how we have changed. As Crosby, Stills, and Nash once sang, “Don't let the past, remind us of what we are not now.”

SI also tells the story of Clarett and Matt Overton. Both played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the now defunct United Football League. Overton was cut by the Nighthawks. According to SI, Clarett “offered Overton his couch and a daily workout partner for as long as he wanted them.” Today Overton plays for the Indianapolis Colts: “Maurice never let me quit. Sometimes I’d slack off –- not encouraged, not motivated—and he’d ask me, ‘Where do you want to go?’”

My Take-away: Setting goals can be motivational. As I wrote in an earlier blog, the difference in many aspects of life and careers is goal setting. Do you have goals? Do you know where you would like to be in a year, 5 years, 10 years? Do you have plans to get there? What do you need to do this year? This month? This week? Today? Do you have your goals in writing, typed on your computer, visible on your smartphone? Are they specific? Are they measurable? Are they achievable? At least once a year I set aside time to revisit my goals in various aspects of my work and life. I have a written list and have done this for many years. In my opinion a major key to personal and organizational success at all levels is goal setting. Where do you want to go?

Image of Denali in the clouds. © John Ballard, 2013. All rights reserved.


0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    RSS Feed