John von Neumann

John von Neumann  December 28, 1903 – February 8, 1957) was a Hungarian-American mathematician, physicist, computer scientist, and polymath. He made major contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics (foundations of mathematics, functional analysis, ergonomic theory, representation theory, operator algebras, geometry, topology, and numerical analysis), physics (quantum mechanics, hydrodynamics, and quantum statistical mechanics), economics (game theory), computing (Von Neumann architecture, linear programming, self-replicating machines, stochastic computing), and statistics.

Von Neumann's habilitation was completed on December 13, 1927, and he started his lectures as a privatization at the University of Berlin in 1928, being the youngest person ever elected privatization in its history in any subject. By the end of 1927, von Neumann had published twelve major papers in mathematics, and by the end of 1929, thirty-two papers, at a rate of nearly one major paper per month.His reputed powers of memorization and recall allowed him to quickly memorize the pages of telephone directories, and recite the names, addresses and numbers therein. In 1929, he briefly became a privatization at the University of Hamburg, where the prospects of becoming a tenured professor were better,but in October of that year a better offer presented itself when he was invited to Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.

Pyramid of Success

The Pyramid of Success

John Wooden

25 blocks

Block 1: Industriousness
"There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning."
🔱Learned industriousness is a behaviorally rooted theory developed by Robert Heisenberg to explain the differences in general work effort among people of equivalent ability.Busy, industrious, diligent, assiduous, sedulous mean actively engaged or occupied. busy chiefly stresses activity as opposed to idleness or leisure. ⟨too busy to spend time with the children⟩

Block 2: Enthusiasm

"It is the engine that powers all blocks of the Pyramid. It is why I chose Industriousness and Enthusiasm as the cornerstones of my Pyramid of Success. It is where everything begins."
🔱Intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval.
🔱“Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity and fear of others. Never decide to do nothing just because you can only do little. Do what you can. You would be surprised at what "little" acts have done for our world.” 
― Steve Parabolic, Unapologetic You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

Block 3: Friendship
"Comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion. Like marriage it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint effort."

🔱The emotions or conduct of friends; the state of being friends.
🔱Friendship for most people is a combination of affection, loyalty, love, respect, and trust. The general traits of a friendship include similar interests, mutual respect and an attachment to each other, and in order to experience friendship, you need to have true friends. The emotional safety provided by friendship means not having to weigh your thoughts and measure words. True friendship is when someone knows you better than yourself and takes a position in your best interests in a crisis. Friendship goes beyond just sharing time together, and it is long lasting.

Block 4: Loyalty

"To yourself and to all those depending upon you. Keep your self-respect.

🔱"Loyalty, the definition of loyalty in law and political science is the fidelity of an individual to a nation, either one's nation of birth, or one's declared home nation by oath (nationalization). In general use, loyalty is a devotion and faithfulness to a nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another human being can be the object of loyalty.

Block 5: Cooperation


"With all levels of your co-workers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way. "

🔱Cooperation (sometimes written as co-operation) is the process of groups of organisms working or acting together for common or mutual benefit, as opposed to working in competition for selfish benefit. Many animal and plant species cooperate both with other members of their own species and with members of other species.

Block 6: Ambition
(For noble goals)
🔱A strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.
🔱An earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment:

Block 7: Self-Control

🔱"Practice self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgment and common sense are essential."

🔱The ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations.

🔱Self-control, an aspect of inhibitory control, is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses.As an executive function, self-control is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals

Block 8: Alertness

"Be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve."
🔱The quality of being alert.

🔱Alertness is the state of active attention by high sensory awareness such as being watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency, or being quick to perceive and act. It is related to psychology as well as to physiology. A lack of alertness is a symptom of a number of conditions, including narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, Addison's disease, or sleep deprivation. Pronounced lack of alertness can be graded as an altered level of consciousness. 

Block 9: Initiative

"Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it."
🔱the ability to assess and initiate things independently.
🔱In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote. The initiative may take the form of a direct initiative or an indirect initiative

Block 10: Intentness

"Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement by resisting all temptations and being determined and persistent."

What this quote means is basically that you shouldn't set a goal so unrealistically high that you get discouraged from it. You should set a goal that you know you can achieve, and then set another goal.Intentness is the thing that keeps a person reaching for the next achievement, to make each possibility a reality. The road to achievement may be difficult, but if you set realistic goals it can be a lot easier. Even if you have to try different methods, you should never quit. Be intent, persistent and determined to reach your realistic objective. Once you set a goal, you should be determined to reach it. You should not give up no matter what circumstances are put in your way. You should always try to overcome circumstances, no matter how hard they may get. The more obstacles you overcome, the stronger your mindset will be towards achieving your desired goal. It takes a lot of hard work and persistence to achieve a goal, but if you stay dedicated you will get there.

Block 12: Adaptability

 (to any situation)

The quality of being able to adjust to new conditions.Adaptability is a feature of a system or of a process. This word has been put to use as a specialized term in different disciplines and in business operations

Adaptability is a feature of a system or of a process. This word has been put to use as a specialized term in different disciplines and in business operations. Word definitions of adaptability as a specialized term differ little from dictionary definitions. According to Andersen and Argonaut adaptability in the field of organizational management can in general be seen as an ability to change something or oneself to fit to occurring changes. In ecology, adaptability has been described as the ability to cope with unexpected disturbances in the environment.

Block 13: Condition

"Mental-Moral-Physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated." 

The state of something, especially with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order.

Block 14: Skill

"A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail."

A skill is the ability to carry out a task with determined results often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of work, some general skills would include time management, teamwork and leadership, self-motivation and others, whereas domain-specific skills would be useful only for a certain job. Skill usually requires certain environmental stimuli and situations to assess the level of skill being shown and used.

Block 15:  Team Spirit

"A genuine consideration for others. An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of all."

feelings of camaraderie among the members of a group, enabling them to cooperate and work well together.

Block 16: Honesty (in thought and action)

"Honesty is the best policy." (Ben Franklin)

The quality of being honest.Honesty refers to a facet of moral character and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc.

Block 17: Resourcefulness (proper judgment)

 “Make the most out of what you have.” (Anonymous)

"If you have a dream, if you have something you've always wanted to do, look within yourself because that is where resourcefulness resides; and go for it. (Jennifer Witterick)

Think of resourceful people as “full of resources,” or tools for coming up with solutions. They adapt well to new or difficult situations and they are able to think creatively. For example, if a snake gets loose in the pet store, a resourceful person will be able to figure out how to lure it back into its cage again.

Block 18: Poise

"Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation."

Graceful and elegant bearing in a person.Gracefulness, or being graceful, is the physical characteristic of displaying "pretty agility", in the form of elegant movement, poise, or balance. The etymological root of grace is the Latin word gratis from gratus, meaning pleasing. Gracefulness has been described by reference to its being aesthetically pleasing.

Block 19: Confidence 

"Thorough preparation breeds confidence" Gerald Bell in

 "The Carolina Way"

The feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something.

Confidence has a common meaning of a certainty about handling something, such as work, family, social events, or relationships.Some have ascribed confidence as a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective

Block 20: Reliability (creates respect)

The quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well.Reliability has to do with the quality of measurement. In its everyday sense, reliability is the "consistency" or "repeatability" of your measures. Before we can define reliability precisely we have to lay the groundwork. 

Block 21: Fight (determined effort)  

Take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons.A determined effort to win the American Legion's support for the Taft-Ellender-Wagner housing bill will be made tomorrow on the national convention floor, Legion adherents of the bill declared yesterday. Equally determined opposition will be offered by its opponents, including members of the Legion's standing committee on housing.

Block 22: Competitive Greatness

" Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge."

The top block on Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success, Competitive Greatness, is defined as, “Be at your best when your best is needed.Coach described competitive greatness this way: “The next and last block in the structure just above poise and confidence is competitive greatness.

Block 23: Integrity (purity of intention)

Integrity is the qualification of being honest and having strong moral principles, or moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to hold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standard.In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can stand in opposition to hypocrisy, in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs. The word integrity evolved from the Latin adjective integer, meaning whole or complete. In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

Block 24: Faith (through prayer)

Believe and Achieve. Positive belief.

Faith is confidence or trust in a particular system of religious belief, in which faith may equate to confidence based on some perceived degree of warrant.

Block 25: Patience (good things take time)

Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances such as: perseverance and/or the ability to wait in the face of delay; provocation without responding in negative annoyance/anger or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one can have before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast. Antonyms include hastiness and impetuousness.

 Final Reflection

All of these blocks mean something good if apply these blocks into your life you will be the best version of yourself. For example Industriousness shows you how if you want something in life you must work for it. Enthusiasm is what keeps a person alive and happy. Friendship comes from respect and mutual esteem. Loyalty comes from being true to others and having self respect.  When you co operate you get more done than just being one person trying to do all the work. Ambition drives you to try your best and be better than other while being humble. Self control allows you to respect other including yourself. Alertness is important because it makes you aware of your surrounding and prevents and danger or failure. Initiative when you know whats your  mission you will more likely succeed in your goals. Intentness prevents you from disappointment. 

🔟Keys to Personal Power

Key 1: Clarity😎

"Have vision. Determine what you want to be, do or have in life.  Have a sense of direction and know where you’re going.  If you do not have clear specific goals in life, you are doomed forever to work for others who do."

🔆clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.
🔆Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast🍱, a house into a home🏡, a stranger into a friend👭.


Key 2: Competence✅
"If you commit to excellence, opportunities will always come your way. The harder you work, the better you get."
 🔆 A sufficiency of means for the necessities and conveniences of life

🔆" … money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it. Beyond a competence, it can afford no real satisfaction … "

 —Jane Austen

Key 3: Concentration🔬

"Make the best use of your time. Ask yourself “Is this the best use of my time?” before you start anything."

🔆Concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: mass concentration, molar concentration, number concentration, and volume concentration.The term concentration can be applied to any kind of chemical mixture, but most frequently it refers to solutes and solvents in solutions. The molar (amount) concentration has variants such as normal concentration and osmotic concentration

Key 4: Common Sense💭
✅Train your mind💫
✅think things through💭
✅listen to your intuition👂
✅learn from setbacks👀

🔆Common sense is sound practical judgment concerning everyday matters, or a basic ability to perceive, understand, and judge that is shared by ("common to") nearly all people.The first type of common sense, good sense, can be described as "the knack for seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done." The second type is sometimes described as folk wisdom, "signifying unreflective knowledge not reliant on specialized training or deliberative thought." The two types are intertwined, as the person who has common sense is in touch with common-sense ideas, which emerge from the lived experiences of those commonsensical enough to perceive them

 Key 5: Creativity

🔅"Except the fact that every human being is a genius.  The hallmark of creativity is asking questions.  The people who are most creative ask the most questions."

🔆Scholarly interest in creativity involves many definitions and concepts pertaining to a number of disciplines: engineering, psychology, cognitive science, education, philosophy (particularly philosophy of science), technology, theology, sociology, linguistics, business studies, songwriting, and economics, covering the relations between creativity and general intelligence, mental and neurological processes, personality type and creative ability, creativity and mental health; the potential for fostering creativity through education and training, especially as augmented by technology; the maximization of creativity for national economic benefit, and the application of creative resources to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning

Key 6: Consideration🔋💯
"The quality of your relationships with other people will determine your success in life."
"Develop the people skills you need to become a better communicator.  Take courses in listening, speaking, etc."
"If you were to learn one new word a day, within 5 years, you’ll be the best educated person in history."

🔆careful thought, typically over a period of time.

🔆Consideration is the concept of value offered and accepted by people or organisations entering into contracts. Anything of value promised by one party to the other when making a contract can be treated as "consideration": for example, if A signs a contract to buy a car from B for $5,000, A's consideration is the $5,000, and B's consideration is the car.

Key 7: Consistency🏆
"Dependable, steady predictable work is always superior to fast spurts of work."
Be consistent in your relationships, your family, friends, your boss, your work.  Be the person that people can depend upon.  That if you say you’ll do something you do it.."

🔆conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness.

Key 8: Commitment🎫

"No success is possible without commitment.  The ability to commit yourself whole heartily is the basis of achieving all success."

"Become totally absorbed in your work.  Be totally committed."

🔆An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison; especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date




Key 9: Courage🏁

"The fear of failure is the single greatest reason for failure in life."

🔆The ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.




Key 10: Confidence🔋


"You only get confidence by doing things over and over again ."
🔆The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.



REFLECTION💭🔎
Through these 10 Keys, I have learned valuable skills that will help me be successful in the future.These keys can really benefit me by helping me attain a good job in the future. One key that I have been working on is courage. Lately I've had a lot more confidence to be courageous in my life, it has made a huge difference because I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I will incorporate the other keys in my life by working on one key each week.  
💙