While you don't have to seal your wood, it's definitely recommended if you want your piece to last a long time and stay durable. Protective coats like polyurethane work well and can be found at hardware stores or online. Use a wooden or plastic stick to gently stir the finishing coat, using slow, gentle motions. Protective finishing coats have a range of sheens, from matte to high gloss. Avoid shaking the can of finishing coat to prevent unwanted bubbles. After using a sealant, you can't easily add additional layers of stain to your wood, so be sure it's the color you want. Dip your brush into the can of sealant, brushing it onto the wood going in the direction of the grain. Cover the entire piece of wood evenly using a thin layer of the protective coat. Feel free to test your sealant out on your test piece of wood before applying it to your project if desired. If you let the protective coat dry for 4 hours and you think it's done, awesome! If not, use 220-grit sandpaper to gently sand the top layer before wiping away the dust with a clean cloth. Brushing on additional coats will add protection and shine (depending on your type of sealant) to your wood. Repeat the process of brushing on the sealant, going in the direction of the grain and applying it in an even, thin layer. Wait another 4 hours for it to dry, and decide if it's finished or it needs another coat. Most people add two coats of sealant onto their wood. Once you decide your piece of wood is finished, wait 48 hours for it to dry completely before using it.

Summary: Choose a finishing coat to protect your wood by sealing it. Use a natural bristle brush to apply the sealant to the wood. Wait 3-4 hours for the sealant to dry before sanding it again, if desired. Apply a second coat of the sealant and let it dry completely.

Every time you step onto the field, whether it be the office or the playing field, you need to go in expecting that you're going to walk out having done your best and proven your worth as a champion. Visualize yourself winning and doing what will be necessary to be the best and believe that it will happen. Eliminate mental distractions when you're competing. When you're on the field, it's not the time to worry about your partner at home, whether or not you're going to be able to score concert tickets this weekend, or where you're going to party after the game. Focus on what needs to happen to win. To help with your confidence, you have to train effectively. When you're about to compete, it isn't the time to be wondering if you could have worked your reps in the gym better, or if you could have watched more tape of the opposing team. Train hard and you'll know that you're at your best. When you compete, you need to compete like a champion, which means saving absolutely nothing of yourself in the tank. All your energy, all your heart, all your soul, all your competitive fire needs to explode from you during the course of the contest. You can't be left wondering if you could have chased down that shot along the baseline a little faster, or if you could have been a little more energetic in your presentation. A champion shouldn't have to wonder. All athletes and champions of the mind have to confront exhaustion at some point. Losers pack it in, close up the shop, and cash out. Champions dig deep and find a little bit more where it seems like there shouldn't be any. Work hard in your training regimen and you'll have enough endurance and stamina to see the competition through. When the whistle blows and the game is over, an athlete can reveal the grace and humility of a champion, or the childish behavior of a loser, regardless of the outcome. If you win, treat it like business as usual. It's ok to celebrate, but you should act as if you've been there before. It shouldn't be a big surprise if you expected to win in the first place. Compliment the opposition and give credit where credit is due. If you lose, it's likely that you'll be feeling frustrated and annoyed. If you're dealing with a sore winner, too, it can make it a lot worse. Don't sling mud, make excuses, or throw a tantrum, though. Shake your head, take your licks, and look to the next contest. Learn from losses and use them to motivate yourself to improve. We've all seen the gloating self-absorbed athlete bragging after making a game-winning play, forgetting the fact that teammates were there contributing the entire game. Winning champions share the credit and praise their fellow competitors, coaches, and teammates. Even if you're feeling particularly proud of what you accomplished on the field, find something to praise about others who competed. Staying humble and showing perspective is an absolutely essential part of being a great champion. We all like to think of ourselves and self-starters who are responsible for our own success, but try to widen perspective to see the bigger picture. Your success as a champion is dependent upon your teachers, your parents, even the people working the concessions stand, or driving the bus you use to commute are contributing to your success. Don't forget that, big shot. Before you compete, treat it like your responsibility to win. Take on the burden of success and decide that it will be your fault if you don't come through as the champion. Put yourself in a position to win. If you don't come through, put your name on it and stand up to the blow-back like a champion. Only you can decide whether or not you're a success. It might be good enough for you to have made a personal best on the golf course, regardless of what Tiger Woods has to say about it. Never throw any of your teammates, coworkers, or fellow competitors "under the bus." Don't call someone out for blameworthy activity, even if it's deserved. Doing so is classless, a sign of pettiness. Share in the blame, if something went wrong, and act like a champion.
Summary: Expect to win. Leave it all on the field. Win gracefully and lose graciously. Give credit where credit is due. Take responsibility for success and for failure.