I’ve worked with many professional and Olympic athletes over the years and I’ve been a keen observer of many more. I certainly love watching the world’s best athletes train and compete. But what I find equally fascinating is watching them to prepare to train and compete. One thing that I can say with absolute certainty is that I’ve never worked with or seen a top athlete who doesn’t have a clearly defined training and competitive routine that they use to ensure total preparation before they enter their sport (here’s an article I wrote about routines back in 2012).

There is no single routine that works for everyone, so every athlete needs to find their own that works best for them. This idea is exemplified by the NBA veteran, J.J. Redick, who takes routines to a new level of specificity and rigor. Here’s a great New York Times article that guides you through his detailed routine that prepares him physically, technically, and mentally to play his best in practice and in games.

Says Redick, “As you progress as a basketball player, the world around you becomes more and more chaotic,” Redick said. “There’s more talent, there are more distractions — and these are all factors that create a lack of control. By having a routine, by having habits that I can fall back on, it’s my way of enacting control. It’s the only thing I can control.”

J.J. Redick provides a powerful example of how you can develop a routine that prepares you best to perform your best in training and in the most important competition of your life.

Want to get your mind in the best shape of your life so you can perform your best when it matters most? Take a look at my latest book, Train Your Mind for Athletic Success: Mental Preparation to Achieve Your Sports Goals and at my online courses for athletes.