I am sure that if I were to ask you what you need to do to improve your abilities for the New Year, you could rattle off twenty different principles or methods to implement that you feel could give you an edge. Hopefully, by now, anyone who is training has someone who is overseeing some aspect of what they are doing (especially if you have particular goals) and is providing you a road map to get there. So, for this article, I wanted to talk about five “unconventional” habits that I think everyone should do. The crazy part is, that if you do perform these habits, I have no doubt you will become better.

1. Re-align your goals.

Goals change, and that is okay. Why? Frankly, because life changes. People fall in love, have kids, get a different job, get a job, relocate, etc… As life changes, goals will / should change alongside in order to provide a road for the person that continually allows growth. The change in the goal doesn’t have to be drastic, in fact it may be ever so slightly, but, as with anything, the slightest movement of a butterfly's wing can have a ripple effect that spans out in multiple directions. If people do not sit down every year, or even every few months to check in on their goals and their path, then they may be running on a hamster wheel to nowhere. So get in the habit of checking in on your goals and what you are striving for to make sure you are doing what inspires you.

2. Establish your reason.

Understanding your “why” has become some sort of buzz phrase over the past years. The problem is, I don’t think people really sit down and consider why they are doing what they are doing. I like to have all my athletes sit down and meditate over the span of a few days really digging deep into why they want to compete. If you really do this correctly, you may bring up some uncomfortable internal conversations and more importantly shed light into your passions. The bottom line is, you can’t be coached if you don’t know where you're going and why you are going there.

3. Realign your life.

As you strive for a goal, other areas that are important to you may fall to the wayside. There is nothing wrong with that. As your goals narrow in, you will need to be, at times, selfish in a way that allows you to truly focus on you and your path. However, that doesn’t mean that you stay on that road all the time. To help prevent burnout, it is important to understand what “cups” in your life you need to fill up. At different times, you will want to assess what cups are more filled than others and start to put a bit more focus into those areas that are lagging. There is no such thing as balance, but the more you can go back and forth filling the cups that are empty, the more complete and fulfilled you will feel in your life.

4. Reflect on where you fell short.

This act is possibly providing the most return in my own life. Every morning I wake up and I ask where I fell short. I base this question around what is important to me. I also have my athletes answer these questions as it relates to their training. “Where did I fall short?” I have them think about their mindset, dialogue, nutrition, hydration, sleep etc. This provides them more insight and reflection into what they can do each day to cross all their T’s and dot all their I’s as they pursue their goals. Then they can work through how they will not let that happen for the new day that is starting.

5. Reflect on what you did well

Just as you want to think about where you fell short, you also want to think about what you did well. We all need to get more comfortable and familiar with celebrating our wins and our efforts. This act can assist with the growth mindset and working towards mental performance mastery. Oftentimes, each person is their hardest critique. Being tough on yourself can only worsen your inner dialogue. Work on celebrating your wins, as well as who you are and what you do.

So there you have it. My top five unconventional habits to start for 2022 that will have the biggest impact on your training.

If you have questions on how we implement these, make sure you email us at help@conquerathlete.com to set up a free discovery call.

-Coach Jay