Three simple steps to help make 2016 great

But, that's s not always the case .

Sometimes the greatest of the great get it wrong.

Take Tiger Wood's who held the World Number One Ranking as recently as 2014, but by December '14 his world ranking had slipped to 32nd.

And on turning 40 on December 30th 2015 - his ranking had plunged to 416th.

Closer to home, South Africa's Hashim Amla, who averages over fifty in both the test and one day arena, ended a bleak 2015 with a batting average of less than 15 in his last 15 visits to the crease.

But, then he bounced back courageously to notch a double ton at the News Years Test Match in Cape Town.

Great champions do that. They bounce back.

Form is temporary - Class in permanent.

But , what they also know is that talent and technique can only count for so much - then it's all about what's in one's

Heart and Head

It's called mindset - and mindset is dictated by one's inner game plan - called one's personal brand.

Branding is Everything - Richard Branson

Here are the three simple steps that great champion's take to build powerful inner game plans which act as their compass in good times and their scaffolding in bad times.

They are the 3P's of Personal 'Inner' Branding.

Purpose, Priority & Performance

Those who have a strong enough why - will always find the how - Viktor Frankl

Purpose is found when one's passion meets the universe's need - and one gets well remunerated and rewarded for sharing it.

The great sporting champions who enjoy sustained success and significance understand their purpose as

To Entertain, Educate and Enrich the lives of others through their sporting genius.

Clearly articulating one's purpose is the first key step to "Unlocking and Unleashing "one's true potential in life

And it's the key driver of longevity.

The most important thing I have learnt in life is to focus my energy on what is important in life - Bill Gates

Priorities dictate one's destiny - and without doubt - getting one's priorities right- is one of the most important actions one can take to create balance and ensure smooth sailing in life.

Yet, it's surprising how most people cannot clearly articulate their 'Big Five" priorities in life.

Now that's tantamount to flying a Boeing 747 without radar, or sailing a boat without a rudder.

At some point one will always find oneself in some kind of trouble.

The great champions prioritize life.

That's because clear priorities make the journey of life far easier to navigate.

They know when to say 'NO', and hereby ensure that their game plans do not fill up with 'the wrong stuff'

It's a word Hashim Amla should have deployed when he was asked to take over the captaincy role in 2014.

He became

The Reluctant Captain

And without a focused priority being placed on his batting , his form quickly dissipated

Naturally my decision to stand down is not an easy one but the more I think about it the more I believe I can be of greater value to the Proteas as a fully focused batsman and senior player at this time of rebuilding our team - Hashim Amla

Although each and every one of us is unique and on our very own journey through life, common priority patterns of the great champions do exist - and they can be modelled

Here they are to help you articulate YOURS for 2016.

Tweak them as you wish. Make them fit your style.

• Priority Number One: BRAND YOU. BRAND YOURSELF
  
• Priority Number Two: YOUR LIFE PURPOSE: 'THE WHY '
  
• Priority Number Three: YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS
  
• Priority Number Four: YOUR HEALTH & WEALTH
  
• Priority Number Five: YOUR DESIRED LIFESTYLE
  

Now you might be thinking that most people will automatically place FAMILY as their PRIORITY NUMBER ONE.

BUT, consider this wisdom:

The Great Champions of life recognize that self -interest is central to one's human make up, but count the greatest gain as the goodwill of fellow humankind- Bob Bulford

Put another way they focus first and foremost on themselves, which then allows them to positively impact on the lives of others.

Warren Buffet, who is commonlyregarded as one ofthe world's greatestinvestors , shares the following :

My advice? Invest in yourself .

Simplicity is the ultimate form of Sophistication- Leonardo da Vinci

The Great Champions value simplicity as it's the essence behind the key ingredient of success, namely FOCUS.

They keep it simple, setting and aligning no more than THREE clear current year performance goals.

Putting the 3P's in place, puts one firmly on the road to human great - with an inner game plan which is

Made of The Right Stuff.