1. You will go against your values. What matters is how you respond. You are going to screw up. That’s normal. We all do and will. When we’re young we walk around with this simplistic view of the world; good and evil, right and wrong. At some point along the way that gets

2. Who you surround yourself with matters more than you know The old saying that you become the five people you spend the most time with has some truth. We tend to think of our beliefs as fundamental aspects of who we are. We have strong ethical, moral, or core values that

3. Learn how to care deeply but be able to let go. The thing that makes you great is what eventually gets in the way There's no doubt about it. You've got to care to perform well. To get the most out of yourself, you need to care a lot about the thing you're pursuing. You cared

4. Separate your identify from what you do You are a runner. You are a coach. That’s how you identify yourself, and how the small niche of runners in the world identify you. It’s something that you take pride in. It’s a badge of honor. It feels great right now, but it will

5. Don’t chase. Accolades, achievements, medals will never be fulfilling. It’s all bullshit. It’s never enough. For anyone. If you chase the external, you will always end up never satisfied, always wanting more. The richest man in the world will lie about his accolades playing

6. Remind yourself of and stick to your principles When you are challenged, stuck in an uncertain situation, you will need something to fall back on. A light that acts as a beacon, guiding you through the fog. Principles are that guide. Developing them seems challenging, but is

7. Life works out if you let it. Don’t force things. You are going to experience some tremendous highs and some depressing lows. You’ll question why you do this sport, your job, and much more. At times, life will appear meaningless. Life works out. I know that sounds silly to

8. Embrace the Messiness: We crave simplicity. We want easy answers, clear-cut solutions, and a world that makes sense. But the truth is, life is messy, complicated, and full of contradictions. We're messy too, full of flaws, imperfections, and misaligned values and actions. We

9. Own Your Story: You are the author of your story. In a world that will increasingly intertwine with social media, it can feel like we lose control of our story. That we hand it over to others to control and define. Don't let others define your narrative. In studying how

10. No one gives a shit. In the future, an NCAA champion is going to share some powerful advice. Listen to her. Phoebe Wright will tell you rather abruptly that “When I get nervous before an Olympic Trials or a big meet, I try to zoom way out, and remember that it’s just track.

So what? We like to tell simple stories: good vs. evil, right vs. wrong. But these are mostly to protect our ego. Life is messy. It's complicated. We're all capable of doing the right thing, and screwing up. And in fact, research shows that those who don't believe they'd ever go