Stay Stupid

In life and in coaching, the more I know, the more I realized how much I don't know. 

The moment you think you know it all is the moment you stop getting better.

In coaching this can look like a coach who finds a system that works, builds 30 athletes on it, and then quietly stops asking questions that challenge the basis of that system. Meanwhile the athlete in front of them sleeps five hours, works night shifts, and wants to race an Ultra. The template might not fit anymore.

The best coaches act like the annoying kid who keeps asking "why", but to themselves. Why did that long run fall apart at 25k? Why does this athlete nail intervals but fade in races? Why are we still doing it this way?

They ask dumb questions. They purposefully read the research that challenges their favorite training principles. They let a 40-year-old age grouper teach them something about recovery. Being teachable doesn't make you look weak. It's how you stay useful.

There's always room to remove one new idea, and remove another. Be humble enough to go and find them.

Stay curious. Assume you're still a little stupid. The more you know, the more you don't know.