This past week a video of the GOAT QB Tom Brady emerged with him getting all choked up while talking about how his father is his role model. Similar to Brady, my father is one of my role models, and is the only one of my role models I’ve had the pleasure to meet. My Dad has taught me so much over 18 years, so I (with the help of my sister) have compiled a list of ten life lessons I’ve learned from my Dad.

1. "Don’t focus on who’s behind you, because if you’re looking ahead it is a lot harder for people behind you to catch up”

When my father told me this quote it was during my sophomore year of high school and he meant it in the context of racing sports (swimming, crew, track), and while it is great advice for all these sports, I have always thought that it may be one of the greatest pieces of life advice as well. If you’re constantly focused on whom you’re doing better than, it can and will eventually impede your own success.

2. Be organized

My father is one of the most organized people I know. He has a system and method for virtually everything, and treats his calendar like the Holy Bible. I never really understood it until I started using a calendar between some time senior year of high school and freshmen year of college, but it makes all the difference. It makes my day easier every day and makes me more productive.

3. Be Early

Similar to my previous point, my Father is often early for things; setting clocks 5 minutes early in his car. I always thought this was weird, but once I started doing I understood why it was genius. If you’re constantly 5 minutes early, you have a small margin for error one of those days, which you wouldn’t normally have and can be a lifesaver.

4. Hard work pays off

My Father always preached the value of working hard for something you want, and that talent isn’t enough. He is always reading books on how to improve him, and this has made him the successful man he is today, and a man I want to emulate.

5. Know your limits

Counterintuitive to the point on hard work, knowing when you can’t do something is important. My father went into college as physics major, placing out to most of the introductory classes his school offered, and his first semester grades show he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. After re-assessing what he could and couldn’t do, he switched his focus, boosted his grades, and came out in great shape.

6. If you love something, do it for as long as you can

My Dad loves to run, which is why I love to run. However, he is well aware that most guys at his age can’t run as often or for as long as he does. But he continues to do it, because he genuinely enjoys it, and wants to do what he loves for as long as he can.

7.“Cream rises"

A saying he inherited from his parents, my Dad has often preached to me the idea that in the best will be at the top. This message has often comforted me when I felt that something was unfair or stacked against me, even if I am the most qualified for something.

8.“Treat girls like you would want your sister to be treated”

I may argue with my sister occasionally, but will always hold a high standard to how others treat her. This reminder to keep myself to such a standard when treating others a certain way makes me a better person.

9.“It will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright in the end”

A lesson my father harps on, this phrase that you need to keep on keeping on at times offers the key lesson that sometimes you just need to trust things are going to workout.

10. Look at life with a glass half-full attitude

My father is an incredibly practical man, and while he likes to prepare for the worst, he always hopes for the best. In a world that can constantly disappoint us, it is important to remember that life is a lot easier and more fun if we hope for the best

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It's all of these pieces of knowledge, as well as many others, put into action that makes my father such an incredible person. I cannot think of a single person who I have learned more from or want to be more like.