It’s a new year. It’s a clean slate. It’s a new opportunity. It’s 2017: Your Best Year Yet. 2016 may have been a rough year or a phenomenal year, but 2017 is your opportunity to be better, to be the best you have ever been. Whether you are looking to better yourself in the pool, in the classroom, on the pool deck, or in life in general, A3 Performance has a few tips for you to make 2017: Your Best Year Yet.
Positive Self-talk You can do anything you set your mind to! The more you tell yourself you can’t, the more you’re right. So cut the negative self-talk and start being nice to yourself! You are strong, you are determined, you are talented, you are capable…you are awesome! Don’t sell yourself short. Set a goal to say one positive thing about yourself in the mirror every day. The more you tell yourself how great you are, the better off you will be. Your potential is as deep as your imagination, but it all starts with your mindset and your mindset starts with positive self-talk.
Challenges are Growth Opportunities We learn the most about ourselves when we are faced with adversity. It is really easy to let obstacles get the best of us, and it’s really easy to give up; but when we dig a little deeper and work hard to overcome challenges, that is when we get better, that’s when we improve. So you had a bad practice, or you didn’t have the race you wanted…that’s okay. No one is perfect 100% of the time, that’s part of being human. Learn and be better. Every practice, every race, every competition is a learning opportunity, so don’t kick yourself. Take every obstacle for what it is, learn from it, and be better next time!
Establish a Personal Mission Having a mission is crucial to success. Your mission includes not only your goals, but also your path, your strategy. This year, decide what you want to accomplish and then figure out how you are going to get there. You must first set a handful of specific goals for yourself. Limit yourself to only a few goals so you can better direct your efforts and really focus. Don’t stop there. Once your goals are set, determine a particular strategy to allow you to reach each goal. Check in with yourself daily to see if you followed through on your strategy and moved closer to your completing your mission. We recommend making a list of your goals and hanging them in a place where you will see them every day as a constant reminder.
Get an Accountability Buddy Accountability goes hand-in-hand with goal setting. You need to hold yourself accountable, which is why we recommend checking in with yourself daily; however, it is easier to make excuses for yourself when no one else holds you responsible. We recommend appointing an accountability buddy to help you reach your goals. When that negative self-talk starts to creep in or you start making excuses for not working at your goals, an accountability buddy goes a long way. It helps to have someone call you out! Please note, though, that an accountability buddy isn’t only meant to call you out, but he/she is also there to provide support, build you up, and keep you on track. Your buddy can be your team captain, a teammate, a sibling, a classmate, a friend, or anyone you think has your best interest and isn’t afraid to be honest with you.
No More Excuses You’ve heard it before, “Excuses are like Armpits…everyone has them…and they all stink!” Well, enough is enough, no more excuses in 2017! We use excuses as a defense mechanism. We feel the need to justify why we did or did not do something, so we make up excuses. You don’t need to answer to anyone but yourself. What’s done is done and the only way to get better is to take ownership for your actions and be better next time. This is why an accountability buddy is so helpful; they don’t accept excuses and they force you to take ownership for yourself and your actions.
Only You Define You You are your own person. This is your life. You are the only one who is in control. You can have an accountability buddy, you can listen to everything your coach says, you can succumb to peer pressure…you can do anything you want to do. You are the only one who will define yourself. If you slack off and make excuses, that is no one’s fault but your own. Conversely, if you work hard, stay focused, and hustle you can accomplish great things. Do not let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Do not let anyone make decisions for you. Decide to be great and you will be. Only you can decide to make 2017: Your Best Year Yet!
The best part of being your best this year is that by following these suggestions in 2017 and being consistent you create a new mindset which will carry you towards success this year and years to come! Happy New Year! Go get ‘em! 2017: Your Best Year Yet was also featured at SwimSwam, an A3 Performance partner.
