Dear Tony,
One point which is both very difficult and very important is not to think too far ahead.
In her book Nadia Comaneci said that when she was growing up and training for the Olympics her dreams were of obtaining new skills. She never saw the larger picture of fame and fortune. Admittedly, she grew up in strict conditions in a Communist country. Those conditions can’t and probably shouldn’t be replicated in this area today. But I have found that idea of simply focusing on the next few steps, of imagining and fantasizing of building new skills, to be very helpful.
We can only go one step at a time, and (at least at the beginning) I could only work on one thing at a time. Thinking too far in the future can be discouraging as you realize how far away it is. Certainly don’t give up on your dreams. But put them away for now. Focus on what you can do. Try to direct your thoughts as much as possible on the next few steps.
