By John F. Murray, PhD
Success is never an accident; it is a psychological state. Over the past 25 years, I have observed that the most elite performers—whether in professional sports or high-stakes business—share a common mental vocabulary. This collection of wisdom isn’t just a list of sayings; it is a blueprint for the mental toughness and performance excellence required to reach the top of your field.
The Masters of Coaching
- Vince Lombardi: “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
- Vince Lombardi: “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.”
- John Wooden: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
- John Wooden: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
- Pat Riley: “There are only two options regarding commitment. You’re either IN or you’re OUT. There’s no such thing as life in-between.”
- Bear Bryant: “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”
- Bobby Knight: “The key is not the will to win… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”
- Lou Holtz: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”
- Phil Jackson: “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
- Bill Walsh: “If your destination is excellence, take the right road.”
The World’s Greatest Athletes
- Michael Jordan: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career… I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
- Michael Jordan: “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
- Muhammad Ali: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
- Babe Ruth: “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”
- Arnold Palmer: “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.”
- Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
- Wayne Gretzky: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
- Joe Namath: “If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all?”
- Billie Jean King: “Champions keep playing until they get it right.”
- Tiger Woods: “I get similar to a zone, where you’re just so locked in and the task at hand is so small.”
- Jerry Rice: “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.”
Tennis & Golf Specialization
- Arthur Ashe: “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”
- Jimmy Connors: “I hate to lose more than I love to win.”
- Chris Evert: “If you can stick it out when you’re hitting the wall, you will find that there’s another level.”
- Billie Jean King: “Pressure is a privilege.”
- Bobby Jones: “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course—the distance between your ears.”
- Jack Nicklaus: “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game.”
- Ben Hogan: “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”
Business, Leadership & Philosophy
- Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
- Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
- Thomas Edison: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
- Theodore Roosevelt: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
- John Maxwell: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
- Zig Ziglar: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
- Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Ready to Elevate Your Performance?
Reading these quotes is the first step toward a winning mindset, but applying these principles under pressure is where the real work begins. If you are looking to sharpen your mental edge and achieve consistent peak performance, let’s get to work.
About the Author These insights from history’s greatest achievers serve as a constant reminder that excellence is a shared journey. As a sports and clinical psychologist, Dr. John F. Murray draws inspiration from these timeless principles to help his clients navigate their own paths toward mental clarity and peak performance.
Contact Dr. John F. Murray Today to learn more about sports psychology coaching and executive performance consulting.