3 Words Aiming at Better Friendship…Inspired by the Bears’ Locker Room Chant
Coasting along or continually improving…which do you want in your life? Most NFL viewers have seen clips of the Chicago Bears’ post-game locker room. After Coach Ben Johnson shouts out and gives game balls to his players, he rallies their passion to improve and win with this chant:
Good, better, best
Never let it rest
’Til your good is better
And your better is best
The NFL demands continuous improvement, and that commitment is helping. Coach Johnson has transformed the culture in Chicago, a tall task for a franchise that had lost its historic winning ways.
In Johnson’s first year, the Bears didn’t make it to “best” but did take some leaps toward “better” with an 11-6 record, their first division championship since 2018, and a legendary comeback in the first round of the playoffs.
But it wasn’t always exciting news coming out of Chicago. During last year’s training camp, there were reports that his young quarterback was struggling with the complex new offense. And Johnson was a hard-nosed perfectionist.
But Johnson’s “Good, Better, Best” mantra stuck and the culture shifted. Turns out the chant and its philosophy were instilled in Johnson back in his high-school playing days.
The Bears aim to live out that chant every day, starting in the hot summer days of training camp. Johnson challenges his players every day to never rest on ‘good enough,’ but to continually improve. The results, he preached, are that good would transform into best.
I’m passionate about the power of team and the vital teamwork of friendship, so when I heard this chant motivating strong brotherhood in a locker room, I thought, “Why not apply the message to our core friendships?”
Most guys are probably OK with “good” friendships. Social researchers and analysts note that people are more anxious than ever, due to hyper-self-awareness from digital connectivity and reduced in-person social interaction. Some may be just happy to have a connection and a hangout where they don’t feel anxious. Standards and expectations these days may have slipped.
But God made us men for more. He wants better and best for us. Deep down, we know we need more than just “good enough,” surface-level friendship. Many settle in this zone because it’s easy. Or, it’s all we’ve known.
Lower expectations or complacency don’t just affect the normal friendships in life. Even valued, long-held friendships can erode if we “let ‘em coast” and don’t keep investing in them with consistent check-ins and honest conversations about what’s important and deep in our lives.
The enthusiastic unity in the Bears’ chant is a rugged reminder to keep building great friendship. Two or three friends intent on growth, united by a desire to improve, bonded by transparently sharing about their lives.
Coach Johnson described something similar: “I think there’s something to be said when a group of men—they’re all believing the same thing. They’re saying the same thing. It’s one heartbeat, one voice. I think our guys have enjoyed it.”
In our lives, the strongest friendships are centered in the greatest friend, Jesus, with the shared goal of growing closer to and more like Him. And by depending on Him, we get courage to be real, to be honest, to “spur each other on to love and good deeds” (excellence). We get to experience the best friendship with Jesus, and brotherhood with core friends.
So, if you’re aiming for better and best in your life and teamwork, work on making your core friendships deeper and more consistent. Schedule connecting weekly. Open up and talk about the important personal stuff. Ask good questions. Confess your junk. Run your plans by each other.
You can coach yourself with this question:
What am I doing day to day to improve my friendships, and what’s my next step toward excellence?
To grow in the leadership and friendship that Jesus modeled, sign up for my CORE3 Coaching text, a no-cost weekly benefit to your friendships and life.
