Picture this.

A talented teenage athlete finishes what by all standards would be considered a very successful season.

They have two months to rest, recover and relax before the next season starts up.

Yet they use this time to completely transform themselves, creating clear physical change that takes their game to an even higher level.

This is what NBA star Victor Wembanyama just accomplished.

As a 19 year old rookie he showed plenty of promise, but at 7' 4" would easily get outmuscled by stronger opponents.

He used it as fuel to improve, dedicating himself to strength development and adding 25 lbs of lean weight in one year.

Wembanyama, being a pro athlete, surely has access to some of the finest training facilities and coaches around.

What he did, though, and how he did it?

That's a blueprint any athlete who wants to play dramatically better next year can follow.

It's a simple three step process.

The first is most important - honestly determine what you most need to work on.

It could be muscle building, but it also could be conditioning, speed, coordination or some other physical skill.

There could be specific sport skills that need your attention, like shooting or ball/puck handling.

You definitely don't need to tackle this step alone.

Your coaches will certainly know what you need most if you don't. Players at elite levels can also get feedback from scouts or talent evaluators at combines.

Next comes creating an action plan.

Do you need to hire outside help, or can you get superior results on your own?

How much time will it take each week to get real results?

How will I balance this with my other obligations?

You want to process to be automatic. The clearer you are on the logistics ahead of time, the easier it will be to succeed.

Finally, you need to be resilient in the face of setbacks.

There's literally always an excuse we can come up with to get ourselves out of doing what's difficult. You and I both know this.

Wembanyama accomplished his strength goals during an offseason that was shortened by the Olympics.

He had a ready made excuse to wait until next year, yet he held firm to what he wanted to achieve.

You must be the same way.

There'll be schedule changes, sickness, maybe even injury.

Social and family obligations will come up.

If you're in New England, it's going to snow sometimes.

None of these should be reasons for you to fall off track on any goal you truly want to achieve.

Keep a picture of an opponent you want to beat, or a school you want to be recruited by, somewhere you can see every day.

Use your big picture goals to your advantage.

On days that motivation is lacking and challenges mount, remind yourself exactly why you want to put in the work.

Just because something is holding back your success right now doesn't mean it has to forever.

You have it in your power to transform your game during the off-season by following this blueprint.