Help with online poker tournament advancement.

I can try and help but i think we need more information. In MTT tournaments the prizes are super TOP HEAVY with 15-20% of the entire prize pool going to 1st place meaning that approaching the final 2 tables and on the final table itself our strategy should be based on survival and chip preservation. Our strategy should also be evolving based on our chip stack compared to others . Can we apply pressure and pick up non contested small pots if we are chip leader or are we waiting for a double up spot as a smaller stack? Medium stacks usually  just got to sit tight and play solid but everyones style is different and being able to exploit opponents who dont want to busto or play big pots at this stage is what separates the wheat from the chaff. Give us an example of a spot where you were unsure of your play or villains play. Poker isnt just about winning right now this second although that always helps! Its about winning in the long run, that means consistently making winning plays that get you to the final table more than you should do mathematically and getting to those big $ locked at the top of MTTs.

Thank you noodeloo, I think a problem I also have at the moment is I am going through a time where I always seem to have the best hand when all the chips go in, but always seem to lose the hand. I convince myself that I am the unluckiest person alive, which I soon get passed and realise I'm not, but it does then make me sit back and lose too many of my blinds. I know this contradicts my original post, I guess what I am trying to say is that I seem to switch between sitting back too much and then the opposite and trying to steal too many hands that get me into hot water. Finding the balance is something I have not yet achieved. 

Also, like you say, it is only the very top few who get the majority of the money, and it always seems like an anti-climax when you exit the competition and see the prize money in your account lol!