What the BYU Offensive Coordinator Taught Me

A lot of you know that I’m a BYU football fan. I watch their games every week and have for a number of years. Earlier in the season, we were in a sort of slump, but the past few Saturdays have been wonderful, nail-biting games (which we won.) This past Saturday, after the win, they interviewed some of the players, and one of them said something that has stuck with me. They said their offensive coordinator focuses on three things for the offense---unity, efficiency, and fundamentals.

I have thought a lot about that because I think those three words can apply to a lot of aspects of life. In a family, especially a large family like mine, in order for it to work we have to have unity, efficiency, and the fundamentals of family down pat. I started to think about what I could learn from his words and how I currently apply it in my family life.

In the unity department, I think unity in a family begins with us, as a couple, husband and wife. When we can have “couple councils” to plan our week, including our date night where we can get away for a couple of hours, it rejuvenates me and helps me feel not only the love we share and have built on, but I also feel more organized and able to function throughout the week. We also try to have family night every Monday. This is a night that’s set aside for just being together as a family, talking about important things in our home and religion, where we eat dinner together, play games together and just enjoy each other. (Mostly. Sometimes we have to talk really loud over the crying baby, or I have to sit between two children, but you know, we're trying.)

In the efficiency department I have a large calendar on my fridge that lists everyone’s activities and appointments so we can stay organized. (I also have an inexpensive yearly planner with lines under each day so I can write down what’s coming up in the year ahead--school activities, holidays, etc.) The family chore chart is also listed on the fridge and everyone knows what is expected which helps in the efficiency department. Most of the time. (Yeah, I have to remind sometimes. Okay, sometimes a lot of times. But we're trying.)

I believe the fundamentals of my family are/should be love, respect, and service. I have noticed that if we are really concentrating on showing love and respect, and offering service where we can to those in our family and those around us, everything just seems to fall into place. It sure doesn't happen every day, but on the days it does, I do notice a big difference in the tone of our home.

Now, I’m not saying that our family is perfect and we walk around on rainbows, petting our unicorns, but I think that when we are striving to do these things, our family life is better.

And when the family life is good, interestingly enough, my writing life, my teaching life, most every other aspect of my life is good.

So, this week I’m going to take the BYU offensive coordinator’s words to heart and work on our unity, efficiency, and fundamentals---both in my family life and writing life. Of course, it's always a work in progress, but what do you think? Are unity, efficiency, and fundamentals important in any aspect of your life?