We've all been to team meetings/talks, where the best plans in the world are laid out on the table. 

Managers, selectors, and players are bubbling with enthusiasm, where there is nothing but positive talk. Goals are set, and dreams are born. Nothing is going to stop us from achieving.In fact, any negative talk is frowned upon, and not welcomed.

But the truth is, something will try to stop you from achieving. That something will arrive in various ways, and your ability to deal with the something will ultimately determine your success. The something could be positive or negative, can be match specific, or season specific.

By all means set goals and dreams, as nearly everything that has ever been achieved has started at this point, where somebody or some group decide they are going to do something.

But do something else, ask the hard questions, things like -

• Identify 10 things that are likely to go wrong
• Identify how you will deal with these things that might go wrong
• Identify how you will know things are going well
• Identify how you will "push on" when things are going well

Have the HARD conversations right now, not when the S&%T hits the Fan