Focus On The Things You Can Control

I've come to the realization that if players would focus on a few simple ideas, there level of success would increase exponentially.

What are these 'magical' ideas that I'm referencing?

They are simply the things that we can control... like effort, preparation, being a good teammate. Those sorts of things...

It's been something that I have been talking to my team about for the entire year, but especially in the last month.

It's easy to get sidetracked and consumed by things that we ultimately have no control over.

We have no control over how good or bad the team we are about to play is. We have no control over how the referees are going to call the game. We have no control over how hard the other team is going to work.

When seeing these sorts of things on paper it seems to make a lot more sense and there might be a few of you reading this now who are nodding your head in agreement. However, the part that is challenging is realizing and remembering these things when you are caught in the moment.

I think all players experience this from time to time.

I remember even in college feeling this way. We were having a tough season and I remember heading to a weekend series against the #1 ranked team in the country with a feeling of "I just hope we don't get embarrassed this weekend".

That mindset sucks.

It's an example of letting my mind wander and focusing on the things that I can't control instead of putting my energy into the things that I can.

The same thing can be said when it comes to referees. It's an easy excuse to make when things don't go the way you want. It's easy to blame someone else.

In nearly 30 years being involved in the game, I can't remember a game that I have been a part of where I feel like we won or lost a game solely because of a referees decision. Of course there are calls that I have disagreed with, but usually, those are all only small instances in the grand scheme of the whole game. And chances are that if we go back and do an honest self examination of the game we can find that it wasn't one call or one play that caused a loss, but rather, there were aspects of the game that we have full control over that we didn't execute on.

Like I said, it's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the situation and begin focusing on the wrong things.

I truly believe if we can develop a mindset where we only focus on the things WE can control, WE will be a lot more successful.

The number one thing I stress to my players, and I believe in myself, is being a great teammate.

It's not always easy, but it should be a priority.

Hockey is the ultimate team game and a completely united front will always go a lot farther than a group that isn't on the same page.

Put your self interest on the back burner and put the needs of the team first. I know that it's easier said than done all the time, but if you want to be successful then you need to make this change. It's the only real path to long term success in my opinion.

Pick guys up when they are down. Celebrate when your teammates succeed. Commit to bringing your best everyday in practices and games.

Those three simple things can make a word of difference for a team.

Naturally, I would say the second most important thing you need to focus on would be your work ethic, but really that should be listed as 1B. Being a great teammate can be 1A and your work ethic can be 1B.

I know I've talked a ton about how hard work is the foundation and at the end of the day your work ethic is what will carry you through everything.

So why is it only listed as 1B?

I have being a great teammate as 1A because if everyone has that same idea and philosophy, then when a day comes when you don't have your best your teammates will be right there to help carry you through. And vice versa. The group will always be stronger than the individual.

But back to your work ethic...

Remember my story from college about what I was thinking about when we were on our way to play the #1 ranked team in the country?

I should have been looking at the weekend as an opportunity and should have been putting my focus on my effort and doing my job for my team, instead of just thinking about how good they were.

That's not to say that I didn't play hard that weekend and lay it all on the line, that's just to say that instead of wasting energy on something I couldn't control, I should have been focusing all my energy on the things that I could control.

The true beauty of everything that I have talked about, and something I share almost daily with my team, is that none of the things I talked about take any sort of talent.

Everyone is capable of doing these things regardless of ability. It simply comes down to a commitment of wanting and focusing on doing the right things.

That commitment isn't always easy but I promise you it's worth it in the end.

This idea is another one of those life lessons that not only helps with hockey but can help with life away from the rink as well.

Focus on putting your energy into the things you can control and stop wasting time and energy on things that are out of your control.

And if you only take one thing from this entire post, take this:

It takes no talent to work hard.

What Does It Mean To 'Buy In?'

I feel like nearly every coach and every team, regardless of sport, talks about the importance of buying in. 

So what does it mean to buy in?

To put it simply, it means to fully engage yourself as a player to the team concepts, team goals, and, most importantly, to your teammates. 

While to most this seems like a fairly common sense ideal, and not something that is new or revolutionary to sports, there are plenty of people that will say they don't get it (trust me I dealt with a handful of parents and players that claimed just that this past year). 

Another way to look at it is this: if you don't get buy in, you won't be successful as a team. 

I would be willing to argue with anyone about that last statement.

I've been around the game for almost 30 years. In that time, I've been a part of some really good teams and some teams that really struggled. And, if I'm being honest, if you really dig down to the core of every one of those teams, the buy in is the difference. 

A team of 20 that are all focused on the same goals and are able to build a trust and respect with each other is a pretty impressive and powerful thing. Mix that in with some talent and you have a nearly unstoppable team. 

I've been lucky as a coach to win two state championships in the past few years. 

Now that a few years have passed, it's really amazing to look back on those teams and see what really sticks out about those groups. It's almost funny, because to an outsider, I would almost guarantee that they would say that they remember the talent of the players. 

But for me, I remember the leadership and the buy in from the entire team. The talent is completely secondary. And that's the honest truth (I'm not just saying that to fit this blog post...)

It's little things like remembering seniors who accepted being role players with their minutes but leaders in the locker room and off the ice. 

To me those guys were the difference makers on the team. Those were the guys where 'buying in' could be the most challenging. It would have been really easy for guys to have bad attitudes or cause problems because they were seniors and thought they should have been playing more. But they didn't. Looking back at it now, I'm amazed at their maturity and their ability to have perspective on things and truly embrace their part. 

It's funny because I still talk with a lot of those guys and not one of them ever brings up the amount of points or the ice time they got. The things they do talk about every year were the bus trips, the close games in front of a sold out arena, the funny hockey stories about things that happened over the course of that season... 

The real cool part about those teams is that even the guys that played a lot and got a lot of recognition don't reminisce about their individual success. Now that a few years have past, they remember the fun times with their teammates at the rink and at school more than an individual performance in a game. 

Now the crazy thing about buying in, is that it really takes a whole team. The old saying 'it only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch' is completely true. I've seen it and I've, unfortunately, been a part of it. 

I decided to write about this topic for a couple reasons. 

First, it's another one of those questions that everyone should be asking themselves. Coaches, parents, and players a like.

Coaches have to lead and coaches have to set the ultimate example of buying in. It starts from the top and if you aren't committed and showing up everyday focused and ready to work, then your teams will follow suit. 

Parents are a support system to their athletes. Whether you realize it or not, the attitude that you have towards the coach, team, and other players is contagious to your son or daughter. If you aren't supporting and buying into the team, your son or daughter isn't going to either. 

Players are presented everyday with new and different opportunities to learn and grow as athletes and people. If you're playing hockey then you need to remember that you signed up for the ultimate team game. There will be obstacles along the way, both personal and team wise, but your attitude and 'buy in' will make the difference. Are you going to get on the boat and paddle with the team, or try to battle the waves and swim yourself? I think we all know which one will ultimately succeed... 

The second point is that this is another one of those areas that we can completely control. I've talked a lot about how we all need to focus on the things that we can control and stop wasting time and energy on the things we can't. 

You are 100% in control of your 'buy in'. 

If you remember the way that I described 'buying in' at the top, you'll notice that every one of those things is something that you can control. 

You can control whether you buy in to the team concepts, systems, and rules. 

You can control whether you buy in to the goals set forth by the team. 

And you can definitely control whether you are a great teammate. 

If you notice a trend in the things I talk about, the real important things in hockey and life, are all things that we can control. 

Can you be a good teammate? Can you be coachable? Can you put the team first? Can you show up everyday and work as hard as you can? 

If you can answer YES to those simple questions, then you understand the power of 'buying in'. And if you can't, then hockey isn't going to be a good fit. 

Enjoy the journey and 'buy in' because I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride a hell of a lot more.

3 Ways To Overcome Fear

We all have it.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all do. How we react to it and what we do with it, is really what defines us.

It, is fear.

Fear is one of the biggest factors in regards to the mental side of hockey. We all have fear, and we all deal with it in different ways. Those that learn to channel fear and turn it into a positive are ultimately more successful than those who let fear control them.

Fear can be debilitating, yet also one's greatest motivator.

The crazy thing about fear is it is something that we create ourselves. Think about it, when you were a little kid you probably did all sorts of crazy stuff and didn’t have a care or worry in the world.

Why?

Because you didn’t know that you were potentially in danger or that you should be fearful of what you’re doing.

The same idea can be related to hockey. Fear plays a huge role into how we play hockey.

• Fear of failure

• Fear of not being good enough

• Fear of losing

• Fear of being hurt

• Fear of letting people down

All of these thoughts have probably ran through your mind from time to time. I know they did for me when I was playing.

A great example for me now with coaching comes through summer hockey. I like to run competitive, yet fairly relaxed and fun, summer skates with current and former players. It always amazes me how good some players look during the summer. They see the ice well, make great decisions, have smooth hands, and can really put the puck wherever they want.

Then the season rolls around and those players don’t execute in quite the same way.

Why is that?

I think a huge portion of it relates back to fear.

In the summer, hockey is relatively care free. You have no pressure or fear of failure.

If you don’t win in a summer pick up game... who cares.

If you try to hit a teammate streaking through the middle and the pass gets deflected or turned over, not a big deal.

All of the little things that cause stress to a player during the season because of a certain fear are removed from how we play summer hockey. Because of that relaxed environment, players don't have that fear of failure in their minds. 

This freedom allows players to just play.

Examples like these are why it’s so important for players to harness their mental toughness and learn to use fear as a motivator and driving force and not merely as something that causes them stress and anxiety.

So how do you overcome your fears?

Take Action

It sounds simple enough, but simply taking action is helping you eliminate fear. It’s easy to say you aren’t ready to play at that level. Or it’s easy to say that you’ll start training for the next season tomorrow or next week. Those that take action are always learning. Things may not always work out the way you hope on attempt number one, but you will learn from the experience and that will make attempt number two that much better.

Think about it this way… would anyone ever get anywhere or accomplish anything if they never started?

Strive for Small Incremental Improvements

I’m a huge believer in never settling and always pushing the limits of what is possible. With that in mind, setting realistic expectations can help you achieve more and do so quicker.

Think of it this way… If your goal for the summer offseason is to gain 15 pounds of muscle, that can be daunting and overwhelming to think about (especially if you struggle to gain good weight). But, instead of thinking about it that way, you focus on your plan for gaining weight and figure that the off season is roughly four months long which really equates to at least 16 weeks. Implementing a nutrition plan, plus a training regime, then all the sudden you can look at your end goal and realize that you really only need to gain about a pound a week. Gaining one pound a week seems much more reasonable than the doubt inducing task of gaining 15 pounds before the season starts.

Learn to break down the things and make them more manageable. This will help keep you motivated and eliminate the doubt from creeping into your mind.

Remember, small incremental improvements over time lead to monumental change.

Confidence

We’ve talked a lot about building your confidence and its importance. Keep things in perspective and understand that if you want something bad enough you have to be willing to work for it. Know that things are usually never as bad as they seem and that a positive mindset can help alleviate fear. Never forget that the people you look up to and want to get on their level were once sitting in the same position as you. They simply made a decision that they were going to overcome their own inner fears and push the boundaries of what they thought was possible. If you want something, in hockey or life, be willing to fight for it and exhaust all avenues to achieve it.

Channel your fears, keep things in perspective, and most importantly, always be taking action.

Do you ever struggle with letting fear control your abilities?

If you’re looking for more information about controlling your fears, you can also check out this article here: Conquer Your Hockey Fears

Time: Our Most Precious Asset

What's the most valuable asset we all have?

I would argue with anyone that it's our time. 

It's truly the one constant that we all have. 

No matter what, we all get the same 1440 minutes every day to make the most of.

What we each do with those minutes is what separates us from each other. 

I was listening to a discussion online a couple weeks back and this exact subject was being discussed, time. 

How often have we all made the excuse, "if only I had more time" or "if I wasn't so busy..."?

I think we've all made that excuse before, I know I have. 

Another way to think about it is this, "how many hours do you have in a week?"

I want you to really think about what your answer is for a minute...

If you're like most people, the first number that probably popped in your head was 40...or maybe 50, 60, or even 80. 

But, in reality, we all get 168 hours a week. 

What we do with those 168 hours is what helps define our success.

In other words, time is precious. 

The beauty is that we all get the same even playing field of having the same time constraints on a day, which in turn, means we each have the same amount of time to go after the things we want. 

I know I haven't mentioned anything about hockey yet, but, I wanted to get you thinking about things a little different first. I wanted to help give you some perspective.

The point of this is to start appreciating the time that we have. Everyday at the rink, doing something you love, is a blessing.  

If you really want to become a better hockey player, stop wishing for it to happen and start developing a plan and putting a process into place to get you where you want to be. 

If you guys remember the post that really got this blog going, it was essentially calling myself out for making excuses. Excuses suck, plain and simple.

Be willing to own your shortcomings and acknowledge how you're going to overcome them. 

Don't be envious of another players success, work to create your own. Don't complain when things get hard, work to overcome the obstacles. Don't take the things you love to do, like hockey, for granted, learn to appreciate everyday you get to spend at the rink. 

It's a message that I've been talking to my teams about since I became a coach. I think partly because it's still hard for me to believe I'm no longer a hockey player (and I've been out of college for 12 years now!). But, more importantly, because every year I hear the same thing as the season is winding down... where did the time go?

If you knew you only had one more day to lace up the skates and play, how would you play? How passionate would you be? How hard would you work?

Time is an incredibly precious thing. 

Don't waste a day, and don't waste an opportunity. 

Remember, we all get the same 1440 minutes each day and it's ultimately our choice of what we decide to use them on. 

One Thing That Can Change Everything

I was reading a book the other day and came across a very interesting question…

“What is the one goal, if completed, that would change everything?”

Now, this isn’t a book related to hockey at all, but after reading that question, my mind instantly went to hockey.

It was one of those “ah ha” moments where I started to think about players today.

I’ve talked about spring and summer training in another article, but this brought a ton of clarity to me.

Instead of worrying about a hundred different things at once, simplify the process instead.

Take a collective deep breathe and simply answer the question above.

In essence, it’s working backward from your goal.

Define what it is you want to do first, then figure out a way to get there.

It seems so simple when you see it written out, but I think we all from time to time can fall into the trap of overanalyzing and overwhelming ourselves with options and decisions that have to be made.

I know for me, that even includes a lot of things that have nothing to do with my end goal.

So take a step back and gain some perspective.

Focus on your one goal that is going to get you to where you want to be, then figure out the best way to get there.

By doing that, you’re giving yourself a purpose.

And when you know your purpose, you can develop a process to get there.

And when you can follow, and love, a process you’re much more likely to succeed and build confidence along the way.

So while this post may be short, I think it’s a good reminder.

Do you know what your number one goal is?

Are you working to achieve that one goal?

Do you have a process in place that is going to get you what you want?

Are you being efficient and direct with making sure your work and efforts are putting you closer to your number one goal?

If you ever feel stuck, take a step back and answer the questions above.

I guarantee they’ll simplify things for you and hopefully make that path to success a bit more clear.

What Has Hockey Taught You?

I recently posted a question to our Facebook page asking what you, or your son or daughter, has learned through playing hockey.

The responses covered a lot of the same things that I talk about in this blog and things that I also completely agree with.

So often, we get wrapped up in every little situation that comes up over the course of a season that we can lose sight of all the amazing life lessons we learn from the game.

I know I’m just as guilty of it as I’m sure most of you are.

But once you get asked the question, or take a few minutes to gain some perspective and think about all that you get from the game, the results are pretty amazing.

For me personally, I think I have learned more from being a part of the game than any other aspect of my entire life.

Hockey has taught me about work ethic, commitment, working with a team and being a good teammate, resilience, discipline, leadership, winning and losing… The list could literally go on and on.

It’s honestly hard for me to reflect on any other part of my life where I have been impacted, or learned, more. Plain and simple, hockey has helped build and define my character.

Even just writing this post has forced me to have some perspective about how lucky I am to be able to still be a part of such an awesome game. And to hopefully be able to continue to pass along those same amazing lessons to the players I coach and interact with is what it's all about.

And while I learned about all those things listed above as a player, I continue to learn just as much, if not more, now as a coach.

I think the real cool thing for me is that when I was a player it was learning and trying to figure out who I was as a person and a player. And now that I’m a coach, I feel comfortable and confident about who I am as a man, but instead have the responsibility to try and help guide other players down the right path. To be a positive influence in their life and make an impact for the right reasons.

The game has taught me, especially recently, that not every decision is an easy one, in fact, most are hard. But at the end of the day, if you’re coming from the right place and can look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day then that’s all part of leading and making an impact.

I think too often we forget that making an impact in the right way involves making hard decisions and tough calls. Sometimes the biggest, and best, impact you can make is by going against the grain and being willing to take the heat to do the right thing. Hockey has taught me all of this.

It’s amazing to think that such a simple game can be so powerful and have such an impact.

I know for me I wouldn’t be the person I am today without hockey. It’s truly one of the most rewarding, and humbling, parts of my life.

How has hockey impacted you? What life lessons have you learned from the game? Feel free to comment below and keep the conversation going.

The Mental Battle All Hockey Players Face

Be honest with yourself, have you ever felt like you were going to lose before you even played the game?

I’m guessing that if you’re being completely honest with yourself, then everyone reading this will be able to answer ‘yes’.

Isn’t it crazy the mind games we play with ourselves from time to time?

Whether we look at the team we’re playing and assume they’re better, or maybe we’ve lost to them in the past, or maybe we know some of the players on the other team and know how talented they are, or maybe it’s just that they’re physically bigger…

Whatever it may be, we’ve all played the mental battle with ourselves and put ourselves behind the ball before the game even starts.

It’s amazing to me as a coach how often I see this and how much this truly dictates the outcome of the game.

I’m a firm believer that if you go into a situation expecting to lose, or fail, you’re probably going to.

However, on the flip side, if you go into the situation knowing, and expecting, to win you’re already ahead of the curve.

I’ve been fortunate enough over the years to coach some very good, and successful, hockey teams.

When people ask me about what made those teams different, this is usually one thing that I always bring up right away. Those teams had the confidence, and swagger, to walk into the rink every night knowing and expecting to win.

They didn’t care who we were playing, they looked at it as that team had to come play us.

It truly played to our advantage.

You could sense, and see the intimidation on the opposing teams in warmups and that only added to our teams confidence.

In fact, I used to talk with my assistant coaches about how you could tell what type of game it was going to be that night depending how the other team showed up to the rink.

You could get a sense if they were focused, excited, and ready for the challenge, or, if they were just there because they had to and hoping to survive the next few hours.

It always amazes me how the mind tricks we play on ourselves really effects so much in our performance.

So what do you do with all this?

First off, don’t beat yourself before you even get started. Hockey, and life, is a competitive venture where realistically you’re not going to win every night. But, if you go in without the expectation of winning, you’re almost always guaranteeing your outcome.

Rise up to the challenge. If you’re playing a great team, visualize the victory. Know in your heart that you’re going to leave it all on the ice, and remember, that’s why we play the game. Think of all the amazing underdog stories you’ve heard about in sports throughout your life. Why did those happen? Because a team of people came together with the belief that they would be able to create greatness for that night.

Be prepared. It sounds simple, but it’s so true. Control the things that are in your power to control and make sure that you’re doing everything in your power to give you the best chance at being successful. Know that it won’t be easy, but challenging and pushing our limits is what makes us grow and get better.

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On the flip side, if you’re a great team use that confidence to your advantage. Have a great warmup, start quick, and don’t give teams lacking confidence a chance to recover and think they have a chance.

Remember that your mind is an incredibly powerful tool.

It can be used to help you, or hurt you.

Make sure that it’s helping prepare you for the challenges you face and always go into every battle with the optimism that greatness is going to happen in your favor.

So to sum everything up in one statement, don’t beat yourself before the game even starts.

Why You Should Take A Break

I recently wrote about the importance of taking some time for self reflection during the season.

It’s important to take a step back and give yourself an honest assessment of how the season is going so far.

What is working?

What isn’t working and can be improved up?

While this is an incredibly valuable exercise to follow through with, there’s also another component that is incredibly valuable for success.

Taking a break.

While it sounds simple in theory, I think for some players and coaches, it’s a tough task to follow through with (myself included).

The truth is we all need to take breaks during the year where we forget about hockey for a day or two during the season.

Spend time with your family and friends and get out and experience life outside of hockey (yes, such a thing does exist, haha).

It’s important that we all do things like this for a couple reasons.

1. It’s a way to clear your mind from the stresses that come with playing a competitive sport. For players, there’s the rigors of workouts, practices, and games. And on top of that there’s the mental strain of making sure that you’re ready to play and perform on a day to day basis. For coaches, it’s a way to escape the daily challenges of managing 20 plus players and personalities on a day to day basis. To go along with managing the scheduling and performance of your team.

2. It allows you to change the routine and gain some perspective on the game. We’ve all heard the saying that “distance makes the heart grow fonder?” The same is true with hockey. It’s amazing what a few days away from the rink will do for you. For many, you’ll start to miss the rink and the routine after a few days and by the time you need to get back to work, your reinvigorated and can’t wait to get back on the ice and get back around your team.

So as the Christmas holiday rolls around, I hope you all get to take a brief break from hockey and spend some quality time away from the game.

Don’t worry, you’re not going to miss out or fall behind from taking a few days off.

If anything, you’ll come back with a new sense of energy and excitement after the holidays, and honestly, that’s incredibly valuable to a team.

So enjoy time with your family and friends and make 2019 the best year yet.

P.S. As a way of practicing what I preach, I will be taking the entire next week off from posting. I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season and can’t thank you enough for the continued support of the past year.

Midseason Self Reflection

With the Christmas holiday right around the corner, it always seems like this is a natural stopping point to relax, get away from the game for at least a couple days, and evaluate yourself and your season so far.

As I have learned over the years, self reflection is another one of those invaluable tools that every player should utilize when possible.

It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of a season.

The workouts, the practices, the travel, the games… it truly can become a grind at times.

This also can lead to us forgetting about why we love the game and why we love getting on the ice everyday.

Gaining some perspective can help deal with this.

Like I’ve talked about on this blog before, taking a step back and having some perspective on the situation can make you appreciate everything so much more.

The time spent with friends and teammates, the competition, the freedom of being on the ice, and the camaraderie of being part of a team that’s all working towards the same goal are just a few of the things that make hockey so great.

And it’s important that we remind ourselves about these things from time to time.

So as the holiday season rolls around and you get a few days away from the rink, sit back and reflect on the season so far.

What has gone well?

What has gone poorly and can be improved upon?

What can you do to help your team be more successful?

And, what can you do, or continue to do, to be a great teammate?

I think if you can ask, and answer, these four questions honestly that it will give you some perspective on your hockey season and hopefully get you reinvigorated for the second half.

Enjoy the break, enjoy the process, and remember that every day is filled with new opportunities. And, it’s our job to make the most of every opportunity.

What You Should Focus On

Personally, I'm not a huge social media person. I have all the accounts and use them occasionally, but it's usually for finding up to date information rather than post about myself. 

This is especially true for Twitter, for me. It's a great way to follow other coaches, learn from them, and stay up to date on highlights and other current events going on in the world. 

I came across a post a few weeks back that perfectly summed up my beliefs and a lot of what I talk about on this blog, focusing only on things that you can control. 

The picture above sums this up perfectly. 

It's almost like a two step process you should be asking yourself when thinking about things.

1. Does it matter?

2. Can you have any control over it?

If you can answer "YES" to both of those questions then it's worth your time, effort, and energy. 

On the flip side, if you answer "NO" to either one of those questions, then stop wasting your energy.

I see this a lot in hockey these days. Players get so caught up in so many different things and worrying about so many different things that they lose focus of what really matters. 

Ice time is the first example that immediately comes to mind for this. 

The reality is that if you're playing, and you're competitive, that you probably want more ice time. Even the guys that are on the top line and play a ton have thoughts about how they think they should get an additional shift or two. Trust me, I've been there as a player too... 

With that being said, if we use the diagram and ask ourselves the questions above that should help us come to an answer:

Does it matter? Yes

Do we have control over it? No

So that should lead us to the conclusion that you need to stop wasting so much energy thinking about how you're being short shifted and focus on the things that you can control. 

Now, I know that there are probably people that disagree with that last paragraph and would say that as a player you do control your ice time. 

In a sense you're right, in that most decisions about ice time are earned based on merit. In other words, if you play really well, have a good attitude, are a good teammate, are effective, and are producing for your team you're probably going to play more. 

I would agree with that. However, you still don't have complete control over your shifts and your ice time. That's your coaches job. 

You may be lighting it up and having a great game, but your coach might like a specific match up later in the game and decide to use someone else for a particular situation. Ultimately, it's your coaches responsibility to do what they feel is best for your team. 

Like I said earlier, this is just an example that I see all the time as a coach. 

In my experience, the best players are the ones that are able to identify the things that really matter and focus all their energy into that. 

Use the simple process outlined in the picture above and watch yourself become a more consistent player.