Preparation
It’s not the will to win that’s important, it’s the will to prepare to win. (Bobby Knight, winning basketball coach)
Everybody wants to win. Do you know anyone who really wants to come in second? Maybe, but the yearning to win seems to be ingrained in us naturally. But, as Coach Knight points out, the desire to win is not enough; after all, the other guy/team wants to win, too. As hard as practice may be, it is essential to winning. Giving your best starts with preparation.
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. (1 Corinthians 9:25)