Baseball legend Yogi Berra had a knack for mixing up words in a way that made perfect, logical, sense. Much more than an athlete, he was a cultural icon, whose “Yogi-isms” are now commonplace in America’s lexicon.
In honor of Berra’s passing today, we remember his philosophical musings, which can be applied as easily to the workplace as to baseball. Here are five of our favorites:
1. Yogi-ism: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Translation: Career decisions can be extraordinarily difficult, but the worst thing you can do is nothing at all. When faced with a challenging choice, weigh your options as best as you can, and then go with your gut.
2. Yogi-ism: “You can observe a lot by just watching.”
Translation: It’s easy to get up in the day-to-day of your job. However, it’s important to remember that the ultimate reason you are there is to learn. Make sure to take a step back from time to time and think about the things you’ve absorbed.
3. Yogi-ism: “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.”
Translation: Always have an end-goal in mind. It doesn’t need to be a 50-year plan, but every career move you make should be getting you closer to where you ultimately want to be, whether that’s a certain job, company, or lifestyle.
4. Yogi-ism: “Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.”
Translation: Everyone has good days and bad days. Just because you made a mistake at work doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job. Just keep your head high, work hard, and soon enough everyone—including you—will forget it ever happened.
5. Yogi-ism: “I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better.”
Translation: If you get passed up for a promotion or a project you wanted to work on, don’t resent the colleague who came out on top. Think about why they might have gotten it instead of you, and try to work even harder than they do.
