PONDS AND FISH
Five Reality Checks We All Need
'Winners are trackers; they always know the score.' - Darren Hardy in Compound Effect.
I read that quote a decade ago, and it resonated with me because I have always been a tracker. I count most things. I don't have obsessive-compulsive disorder, and I don't know if it means I'm a winner, but it helps me to know how far I've come and how far I still have to go. I've applied a tracker mindset to reading books. I have read more than 300 books since March 2020. At the time of this post, I’m on pace to read 60+ books for the fourth consecutive year. For a time, I felt smug about my status as a voracious reader.
And then I met Tom.
Tom was introduced at a meeting I was attending. The individual introducing Tom declared him a 'voracious reader' and asked Tom how many books he had read in the first 6.5 months of the calendar year.
'138'
Tom had read more than triple the number of books in six months than I would the entire year. Tom then pointed to another man in the back of the room and told us that his friend had read 190 books in that same span. My understanding of a voracious reading habit had been incinerated. My measly reading pace was kindergarten-level phonics compared to those two. I was having a ‘ponds and fish’ moment. I thought I was a big fish in a small pond. I was reminded there a lot of big ponds out there with a lot of big fish.
'But, Chris! Comparison is the thief of joy.'
Yes. I know. Yet, a little comparison slips into any tracking efforts. Mostly, I was tracking against myself from previous years, but when someone talks about how many books they've read, I can compare because I know how many I've read. The more significant problem was that I was unprepared for what I would learn through that comparison.
It was a jaw-dropping reality check.
We all need a good reality check more often than we get them. Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) says, 'If what you accomplished yesterday still looks big today, you haven't done much today.' Reality check.
In his book Think Again, famed social science researcher Adam Grant says, 'Twenty-year-olds who are most convinced about their career path have the deepest regrets at 30 because they haven't done enough rethinking along the way.' Reality Check.
Ernest Hemingway once quipped, 'You can't get away from yourself by moving to a new place. You always seem to come along.' Reality check.
I've thought about my reality check in that meeting, and here are five reality checks we all need to be prepared to encounter.
REALITY CHECK #1 You have forgotten how big the world is when you are overly impressed with yourself. My father was my high school basketball coach, often taking me to scout opponents or see high-profile games in the area. Occasionally, we would see a talented player we had never heard of, and my dad would say, 'It's a big world out there, son.'
REALITY CHECK #2 There is always a bigger fish out there. Many believed no one would be a more incredible quarterback than Joe Montana. And then Tom Brady arrived. Reggie Miller was the most proficient three-point shooter ever. And then there was Ray Allen, who Steph Curry quickly replaced. Some of you might not even know who Reggie and Ray are. Never say, 'That record will never be broken.’ They will all fall eventually. There's always a bigger fish out there.
REALITY CHECK #3 A bigger fish is always closer than you think. My jaw fell open when Tom said, '138'.He was a random guy in a meeting I attended at a random church in Houston. If some world leader far removed from me had said, '138, ' it wouldn't have stunned me as badly. It was the fact that a bigger fish was hanging out in the back of a meeting I was attending. None of us has a monopoly on anything.
REALITY CHECK #4 Don't shy away from big fish; try to swim with them. Make comparison your ally. Too often, when we get a reality check, we make excuses or retreat to swim with fish we know we measure up well with. DO NOT DO THIS. I had the privilege of coaching high school cross country for a season. Do you know when my runners set incredible personal records? When they ran against faster runners. Swimming with big fish makes you swim as fast as possible, and we all underestimate how fast we can swim.
REALITY CHECK #5 Stay humble, or you will be humbled. C.S. Lewis has a great quote about pride. 'Pride is not wanting a lot. It's wanting more than the other person.' Reality checks have a way of uncovering pride or passion for growth. If you maintain humility, a reality check is a healthy experience as it challenges you to a new standard. If you are prideful, a reality check will send you retreating to your comfort zone. Be careful in your comfort zone. Nothing ever grows there.
Lead on, friends!
About Learning and Leading
Hi, I’m Chris Hobbs, and I write Learning and Leading. It is quite literally a blog where I share what I’m learning while leading. I’ve spent over 25 years in school leadership, and I’ve been fortunate to earn a bunch of degrees and receive recognition in the spheres of athletic coaching and educational leadership.
I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and we’re the proud parents of three incredible young adults. Faith in Jesus Christ is my foundation, yet I am far from perfect. Life is often messy and complicated, but I believe it’s still worth leading with clarity and hope.
You can find me on X or LinkedIn, where I share daily thoughts that (hopefully) inspire, and maybe even make you laugh.