12.18 Margueritte Bates: Enjoy the Pursuit of Greatness

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“Don’t let anyone tell you that being the best and having fun are mutually exclusive.” - Margueritte Bates

Can you enjoy the pursuit of greatness?

Margueritte Bates became the first-ever rookie head coach to win the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship when she led the UCLA Bruins to the 2022 national championship. Before that, she was the long-time assistant at Stanford.

When talking about her transition from assistant to head coach and her broader philosophy about elite performance, Coach Bates said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that being the best and having fun are mutually exclusive.”

If you want to be elite, you don’t have to be rigid, joyless, and exhausting. Of course, being elite requires a lot of hard work, and a lot of it won’t be fun, but is not the enemy of discipline, fun does not mean lack of standards, and positive energy can coexist with — and even fuel — elite execution.

So work hard and have fun on your journey towards greatness!

Question of the Day: How can you enjoy the pursuit of greatness?

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