Forwards

Has to be the direction of the march.

Happy Monday,

Hope you’re doing great and that your week has started very well.

Wayne Gretzky once said, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Now, pause for a second. That line is doing a lot of heavy lifting in just a few words. It’s not just about hockey: it’s about life, vision, ambition and responsibility.

But seriously, the quote is forward-looking and predictive. It’s about anticipating opportunity, not chasing after it. That’s what makes champions. That’s what made Gretzky the GOAT. Now, here’s the thing about Gretzky, he didn’t just wake up one day, roll out of bed, and casually skate his way into 61 NHL records like it was a Sunday morning grocery run. Nope. Born in Brantford, Ontario, he was skating by age two. At two, most kids are barely walking straight. Gretzky was already gliding around, stick in hand.

By six, he was playing organized hockey. But more than that, under the watchful eye of his father, Walter Gretzky, he was spending hours practicing in their backyard rink. Rain, snow, The guy was a machine. He studied the game obsessively, like a scientist analyzing a formula no one else could quite understand. He didn’t just want to play, he wanted to dominate. And he did.

So how do you become that kind of person? The kind that breaks records, redefines a sport. Two things stand out: A forward-looking mentality and a weird, wonderful obsession with his craft, and

He was always trying to be better than the day before. He didn’t dwell on the past; he studied it, learned from it, then used it to aim even higher. That’s the secret sauce right there, focus on tomorrow, work hard today, and don’t let yesterday hold you hostage.

This mindset isn’t unique to Gretzky. You see it in other champions: Max Verstappen with his insane focus, Ayrton Senna driving like the car was an extension of his soul, Cristiano Ronaldo turning every gym session into a battle for greatness. Even in the world of science, you had Einstein thinking up time travel, Boole giving us the logic behind computers, Oppenheimer literally splitting atoms, and Hawking breaking our brains with black hole theories. These people were all in: obsessed, driven, and always thinking a few steps ahead.

Here’s the truth though, having a vision bigger than yourself requires more than just talent. It takes grit. It takes an almost unreasonable commitment to growth. And, maybe most importantly, it takes refusing to stare too long in the rearview mirror. Yes, the past is important. It teaches, it humbles, and sometimes it haunts, but you can’t build the future by living in the past.

The goal is simple: forward. Every day. With purpose, with energy, and maybe with a Gretzky quote.

So whatever your “puck” is : career, business, personal goals, creative projects, don’t skate to where it was. Look ahead. Plot your path.

Peace and light,

Iraki Maina