The One-Day Contract by Rick Pitino - A Book Review

Jim Fiore, president of Dynamic Sports Marketing, recently sent me a copy of Rick Pitino's book "The One-Day Contract: How to add value to every minute of your life."  The 260 page book reads easily and takes about as much time to consume as a book half its length.  It presents a good opportunity to pause (in a busy industry that never seems to have pauses) and gain some some meaningful insights that can indeed make a difference in your productivity and performance.

I've not personally met Coach Pitino but he is obviously a driven, motivated and intense person.  His book covers ten areas that can make a difference in both your short term and long term success. The themes that emerge, by chapter, include:

1. It begins with humility - Underscores the importance of being humble in a profession filled with egos.
2. The force of focus - Reiterates how crucial it is to focus on your objectives and eliminate what doesn't contribute to that focus.
3. The trap of technology - Expands on the concept in the previous chapter and points out how truly distracting technology can be if it isn't harnessed and utilized to achieve your goals.  
4. When adversity strikes - Looks at his personal situations when he and others close to him faced adversity and what he learned from those situations.
5. The one-day contract - I found this to be the best chapter of the book.  Act as if you are on a one-day contract.  If you don't produce that day and meet the desired expectations, you won't be back the next day.  A powerful concept that can help you get more from your day.
6. The power of the positive mind-set - Makes the point that positive thinking is more than new-age navel gazing and telling yourself you're good enough.  You embody a proper mindset because you are prepared.  It's far easier to be positive when you are prepared and know that things have a better chance of going your way because you've done the work.
7. Heeding the signs - Be observant and listen to those who are invested in your success.  Be coachable and surround yourself with people who won't simply tell you what you want to hear. 
8. Meaningful distraction - Find places in your life that are outlets that are not work related where you can rest and recover.  Balance and meaningful healthy escapes are important and help your creativity. 
9. Prospering from pressure - Use pressure as an avenue to concentrate and execute, and become aware of the effort necessary for success.  
10. Building your bridge - Success is all about making personal connections and helping the people around you achieve their goals and dreams.

These ten simple concepts, especially those in Chapters Five, Six, and Ten, can make a big difference in your ability to focus and achieve at the highest levels.  They can help you overcome inertia and get started, or move you closer to fulfilling your short and long term goals.  While I'm not sure the book can add value to every minute of your life (only you can do that), it can certainly make your hours and days more productive with some easily implemented ideas and give you the feeling that you're valuing your time and elevating your decision-making to a higher level.