The one thing I have learned working with athletes over the past 10 years is the difference between those that wish and those that do. I find it interesting when I meet an athlete for the first time how he or she always knows the right thing to say to me to try to impress me. What I mean is that they love to tell me their goals and how hard they work. At first I am very excited as their mental coach to be working with such a motivated athlete. The problem becomes clear about a week later when I ask the athlete to practice a certain way and report back the results to me. Rarely do I get the “mandatory” report and if I do it is filled with excuses on why they didn’t do all of the training. The competitive environment is changing. No longer is talent enough, no longer is passion enough, and no longer will the level of work you did yesterday be enough. I am not asking for working harder, but working smarter. Working on the priorities of performance is a must. Making the little changes necessary to get to the next level is not about how long you train, but how you train. Athletes like everyone else get stuck in their habits and find it difficult to change. If you want to achieve something you have not yet achieved you must be willing to train in ways you have yet trained. I think I need to get back to work!