Every athlete who gets beyond the “fun and fitness” level wants to go for the gold. In their own way, every athlete carries a picture of where they want to be inside their mind. Of course, for a lot of athletes, that picture is fuzzy and faded, like an old photograph where you can barely tell who’s in it or where it was taken. Clarity in your mind will result in success on the field.

When you train, you have to visualize what you really want. When you first get started with visualization, you have to begin with one goal in mind, and sharpen it up to the point where every sensation is crystal clear. You have got to remember what is going to happen with the same kind of clarity you can bring up about a powerful memory from your past. When you do this, day in and day out with your training, you gain more than just the physical edge that being in great condition will give you.

So take a moment to think about where you want to be athletically. Is it about the wealth, where you sign a multi-million dollar contract? Or are you standing above every other competitor, sweat still streaking down body, with the gold medal hanging weightlessly from your neck? As a wise man once said, picture it and make it real. As another wise man once said, the only difference between your imagination and your reality is the time it takes to bring it all about. If your mind isn’t in the game, it doesn’t matter how physically capable you are. Ultimately the winner imagines it best.