John Wooden is a cool guy. For those of you not familiar with Coach Wooden, he's arguably the best coach ever (especially if you're a UCLA alum!). His UCLA Bruins won 10 NCAA Basketball Championships, including 7 in a row. (Go Bruins!)

Coach Wooden is a humble man who believes in and teaches fundamentals. One of my favorite Wooden stories is about the first thing he taught his players--some of the best players in the country. What did he teach them first?

How to put on their socks!!

Why? Because if they didn't get that simple act perfected then they might get a blister. If they got a blister they'd miss practice time. If they missed practice time they wouldn't win championships.

And his teams won--ten NCAA Championships, of course.

In my opinion, the same rules hold true for our lives. If we don't nail the simple things in all aspects of our life, then how are we going to win championships (aka experience areté, reach our potential, achieve consistent balance and happiness, whatever you want to call it)?

How’re your socks?