What Nick Saban Really Wants to Be Known For

He’s won seven National Championships, has sent over 100 players to the NFL, and has influenced leaders of all industries.

But Alabama Coach Nick Saban insists he’d much rather be known for something else.

“How well I clean house,” he recently said at Southeastern Conference media day.

“I may clean house on vacation. I get a list every day. I try to play golf every morning. (My wife) gives me a list when I get back. Run the sweeper, take out the garbage, pledge the refrigerator. Nobody knows how well I do all those things.”

Beyond the fact we should probably clean more, Saban’s words have some important reminders for us.

Many of us want to take over the company, win championships, get major raises and more impressive job titles.

But our quests often come at the sacrifice of the most basic elements of our personal lives.

We have a huge presentation later this week so someone else should throw out the trash. Our mind is on the rivalry game so we forget a close friend’s birthday. We have a bad day at work so someone else really needs to do the dishes.

We become so focused on our job responsibilities that we gloss over the obligations we have to the people closest to us.

But it’s impossible to be an MVP leader in the office and a waiver-wire player at home. The two go hand in hand.

Despite his monumental accomplishments over the better part of five decades, Saban seems to have never lost perspective on this.

Sure, he likely gets help from his wife or a secretary on some chores or menial tasks, but he also knows he must be responsible for the little things in his life.

How we do anything is a reflection of how we do everything.

Agonize over the deal, pour over game tape, review the presentation for the seventh time.

But when the alarm clock goes off in the morning, we need to make the bed.