Winning Every Day Review

Book Review

Winning Everyday: The Game Plan for Success, Lou Holtz, 1998

Introduction

Lou Holtz is best known for his over-haul of the Notre Dame football team. During his 27-year coaching career, Holtz earned an impressive 216-95-7 record and is the only coach in NCAA history to lead six different football programs to bowl games. Throughout his football-coaching career, Holtz has been able to inspire his players to success at each of his different coaching assignments by sharing his methods for success with the young people he has coached.

Holtz learned early on that the choices we make today shape our future of tomorrow. Early on he established a personal game plan that helped guide his personal and professional paths. The plan that he outlines in this book consists of 10 steps designed to help the reader achieve success through resolve and discipline. He has in essence taken his plan for winning on the football field and adapted it for use in everyday life.

Analysis

Holtz begins his game plan for success by discussing the power of attitude. Only you can control a positive attitude. Surround yourself with those that encourage you and steer clear of those with negative outlooks. When you have a positive attitude, you will not be pushed off your path by roadblocks that tend to appear throughout life, you will overcome them. Adversity will most certainly appear throughout life, you must meet it head-on, Holtz say's tackle adverse situations because "what separates the champions from the also-rans is how they react to them". You decide whether you succeed or not by the choices you make.

In order to succeed, one must develop a sense of purpose. With clear sense of purpose, nothing can distract a person from achieving their goals. Even the average skilled person can achieve greatness if they are willing to sacrifice. Few people are willing to put in the work that it takes to succeed but those who are willing to go the extra mile will benefit in the long run. Staying on top of your competition once you succeed is a perilous place. No matter how well you can accomplish a task, you must always look for ways to improve and raise your standard for accomplishment in a positive way.

Lou Holtz is a strong believer in dreams. From his humble beginnings he has had an extraordinary life all because he dreamed big and acted on those dreams. Dreams take you from being a spectator in life to a participant. If you expect little out of life that is exactly what you will get out of it so, "always expect the best for yourself, then you won't be surprised when you get it". Strength of character comes from a positive self-image. Holtz uses the sports analogy that "certain teams set up as if they know they have you beaten before the game even starts. A club like that can destroy an opponent morale". If you believe in yourself, others around you will also. Self-confidence is the best way to tackle adversity.

Holtz concludes his book in the last 3 chapters on what he believes is most important, building self-image. The three steps he outlines are integral in building strong relationships based on mutual respect. When evaluating your self-image, the first place to look is inside your self and view the way others view you. One of the first self-evaluations is trustworthiness. If people believe you can be trusted, they will bend over backwards for you. Always do right by others even it if it is not popular. Next, ask your self if you are committed to excellence. Set high standards for your self as they are "the real measure of your dedication". If you believe you give a task everything that you have then you will never have regrets. The final self-evaluation is do you genuinely care for others. Caring not just during time of crisis but at every chance you have. Holtz believes this question to be the most important of the 3 steps because it creates value, respect and loyalty, and it doesn't