My question for you today is simple – Do You Want To Be The Best?

If you answered “Yes”, then you have to ask yourself these 3 questions.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with playing for the “love of the game”.  But that isn’t what this is about.

::  This is about holding yourself to the highest standard.
::  This is about pushing beyond what you even dream is possible.
::  This is about exceeding your own expectations.
::  This is about becoming excellent in everything you do.

So before you run off to do whatever you have planned next for the day, take a few minutes, ask yourself these 3 questions and answer them honestly.

1.  HOW Badly Do You Really Want It?

Whether your BIG goal is to make the Olympic team, play college hockey, make varsity next year or move up to the AA level, ask yourself how badly you really want it.

::  Do you get excited just thinking about it?
::  Do your eyes light up when you talk about it?
::  Does that goal, and all the passion you have towards achieving it, drive you to be your best each and every day?

2. WHAT Are You Willing To Do To Get It?

Almost every single player I’ve spoken to in the last year (about 3000 girls) says they want to play college hockey and make the National Team.

But there is a BIG difference between saying and doing.  It’s easy to say that you want these dreams to come true.  It’s a lot harder to actually go out and make them happen.

So ask yourself – are you doing what it takes to be the best?

::  Are you warming-up before every ice session?
::  Are you taking the time to work on your mental game?
::  Are you eating the right kinds of food to fuel your best performance?
::  Are you working on your game when no one else is watching?

Some players want it to happen, some wish it would happen… You need to MAKE it happen by doing all of the “little” things every day.  Be honest with yourself.  Are you really ready to invest the time necessary to become great?

3.  WHY Are You Doing It?

This is BY FAR the most important question of all.

Is becoming the best your true passion?   Because it’s your passion that drives you.  It’s what keeps you going when times get tough.

The road to the next level is going to get rocky.  It always does. Because if it were easy to get there, everyone would be there. But not everyone who says they want it is up to the challenge.  If you know exactly why you do what you do on a daily basis to be excellent, and there’s no question in your mind that this is what you were meant to do, and you are willing to buckle down and do the work when others let up, anything is possible.

Please pass these questions along to anyone that you think is ready to reveal to themselves whether they truly have what it takes to be great. 

Not everyone is going to be ready for these questions.  They aren’t easy to answer.  And that’s why they are so important.

Becoming the best takes more time, focus and energy than most people are willing to give. But if you are willing to make that investment, the pay-off will be great.

Choose excellence.  Exceed expectations.  Work Hard & Dream BIG.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes