A few months back while in Florida with my coach Matthew Furey he made a statement that sums this whole thing up and made me think how important it is to keep pushing on. He said, "visualize being on the 1 yard line and running one more play and then crashing into the end zone.' This analogy really hit home for me because of my love for football but it applies to anyone in any situation.

It's important to give yourself credit for all the work that you've put in up to that point. It's also important to realize that you might have to turn it up a notch to get to where you want to go. When working with those in my fitness and karate classes I often times remind them that the present level of energy or enthusiasm in all likelihood will not be enough to take them to the next level.

Sometimes people are frustrated by this statement because they might feel that they are giving their best effort. I've found that people need a coach and they need to be pushed to really put forth their best effort. Who's helping you bring out your best?

Having someone watch over you and help you be accountable for your actions and your progress is a sure way to reach a new level of personal excellence. It really is too easy to take it easy on yourself when the going gets tough. Your inner voice may start to shut down or worse yet tell you that that's your absolute best when in reality there's a lot more to give. You can always work harder and do more when someone is there to watch your progress.

Many great achievements have been done by those who went the extra step. Many great failures and lasting frustrations have also come to be because the person reaching for the goal stopped just short and didn't give that final push that would have taken them to fulfillment of the goal.

Take time to carefully choose what you want to be really good at. Once you've chosen that certain thing then make the plan to get to the place that you want to go. Once you've made the plan then get moving in the right direction. After you've started moving in the right direction then seek out someone who has the knowledge and the drive to take you to another level of personal excellence.

Surround yourself with positive movement and energy that comes both from yourself and from those that you choose to keep around you. Don't be afraid to spent time with people who are better than you and know more about a certain subject than you do. The smartest people and the biggest achievers are not intimidated by the smart, talented people around them and realize that these people can only make them better and help them realize their personal goals.

Aim high and keep pushing, Fred Nicklaus