#024 – Keep the Imagination Under Control
Keep the Imagination under Control; sometimes correcting, sometimes assisting it. For it is all-important for our happiness and even sets the reason right. It can tyrannise, and is not content with looking on, but influences and even often dominates life, causing it to be happy or burdensome according to the folly to which i leads. For it makes us either contented or discontented with ourselves. Before some, it continually holds up the penalties of action and becomes the mortifying lash of these fools. To others it promises happiness and adventure with blissful delusion. It can do all this unless the most prudent self-control keeps it in subjection
As coaches, we need to keep this in mind—a lot. Sometimes, we create so many situations for every little moment, that we never actually accomplish anything. We spend so much time on what MIGHT happen, that we never take the steps forward to achieve anything. While it is good to think of roadblocks and problems that may happen along the way, at some point we have to say “enough” and give it a try. This issue can happen in almost all aspects of running a program. All the points and counter-points of a player substitution, running a particular offense over another, and what teams to schedule. The fact is that we can not rehearse every single event that we have to decide on. We can, however, train and give the team (including ourselves) the skills to make the best decision at the moment with the available information. If we spend all our time planning, there is no time left for doing.
This blog series is based on the book “The Art of Worldly Wisdom” by Balthasar Gracián. This book was written for advice on how to achieve personal and professional success. This blog series aims to visit the points of wisdom and put them in the spotlight of the coaching and education lens.
