September 04, 2021

John Wooden Key Word: Intentness- your ability to resist temptation and stay the course

On John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success there is the word, Intentness by which Coach Wooden has put the words, “The ability to resist temptation and stay with your course, concentrate on your objective and be determined to reach your goal.” Intentness is a vital quality for success. Intent comes for the latin word meaning to strain, stretch. It is the ability to focus with eager and undivided attention on your task. According to research, attention span increases based on how much a person enjoys the task they are focusing on. Fatigue, hunger, noise and stress can inhibit intentness.

“The road to real achievement takes time, a long time, but you do not give up. You may have setbacks. You may have to start over. You may have to change your method. You may have to go around, or over, or under. You may have to back up and get another start. But you do not quit. You stay the course. To do that, you must have intentness.” Coach John Wooden

Self-Check on Your Intentness
Rate yourself on the following:

• You are successful at blocking out all distractions when you study.
• You are able to follow-through with a task quickly to completion.
• You are relentless in your follow-through.
• You resist temptation.
• You build your intentness each day by staying with your task.

Three Ways to Build Your Intentness

1. Find a timer.

2. For skill work such as basketball, music, memorization, studying-- set the time for 20 minutes and work as intently as you can for 20 minutes at a task. Once the 20 minutes are up, switch to a different task or skill, you can circle back later to the same skill or task but commit to working as hard as you can on a skill or task for 10- 20 minutes and then switch. At the end of 3 rounds, stop and take a short 6 minute break.

3. Have a small reward at the end of the round you can enjoy in the 6 minutes but not tempt you beyond that time. Eat a jellybean, listen to your favorite song, look at a few pages of a magazine. (Whatever you choose, be sure it is something you can easily put down after the 6 minute break.)

4. Try another round of three 10-20 minute intensity focus points.

Strengthen Your Ability to Resist Temptation

1. Out of sight, out of mind. Remove the temptation as much as you can from your life.

2. Change your routine. If you have the habit of coming home and sitting on the couch to watch TV, go into a different room. Make a goal to set up a new routine. Unplug the TV.

3. Your mind is incredibly creative. You need outlets for your creative energy. Find something to occupy your time. Instead of reaching for guitar hero, reach for a real guitar. Instead of looking at things you shouldn’t on the internet, write in a journal or do something kind for someone else. Find something that is easy and enjoyable for you to do, then resist temptation by picking this instead.

Sacrifice: Work now, Victory Later

About NBC Basketball
Since 1971, NBC Basketball has trained athletes to succeed on and off the court. NBC Basketball is one of the largest, most respected basketball training programs in the world. For more information, www.nbccamps.com