The 5 Most Valuable Lessons From Ted Lasso

AppleTV+ has a gem of a show in Ted Lasso, and as I have written about before, that comes as quite the surprise, but what makes coach Lasso so great is that he is, in some ways, a coach to all who watch the show.

A lesson I learned from a coach I once knew was that everyone needs a coach. Case in point, this man was not my coach but just “a coach” who happened to run a beach chair rental service at a condo my family stayed at growing up. In case you are wondering, yes, he just went by “Coach”. His philosophy was that you didn’t necessarily need to play a sport or be on a team to have/need a coach. A coach can be your mom, an uncle, a sibling, or maybe even a fictional character.

The point is, we are surrounded in life by people who influence us. Here are the biggest lessons I took away from the old gaffer, Ted Lasso.

Be a goldfish

Coach Lasso posits that the goldfish is the happiest animal in the world because it only has a ten second memory. Obviously, we should all learn from our mistakes, but there is no money in lying awake at night replaying how something you did could have been different. Be a goshdarn goldfish.

Be curious, not judgmental

We make quick judgments all the time. It helps us not overthink everything in our lives, but when it comes to other people we need to train ourselves to not be so quick to dismiss. I’m preaching this as much to myself as anyone else. Asking people questions about what they think and why is more illuminating than assuming the answers. As Lasso would say, it makes an arse out of you and me.

BELIEVE in miracles

Lasso doesn’t buy into the hope being what kills you. Sure, having hope in an outcome of a sport or any life event can make the loss feel much worse, but it also makes the highs higher. Life’s too short to walk through it like a stoic, shooters shoot.

Make the extra pass

Don’t take on too much to make others happy or to keep it under your control. Know your limitations or just when it would be beneficial to the team as a whole to pass along tasks or, for that matter, credit. 

“I promise you, there is something worse out there than being sad. And that is being alone and being sad. Ain’t no one in this room alone.” – Ted Lasso

It’s important to remember, especially in 2020, that we aren’t alone. No matter what degree of suffering you are currently experiencing, just try to remember that people care about you and might be going through something similar. Be sad together, and never feel ashamed to ask for help.