Make 2021 the best yet

Onwards and upwards

2020 has been a challenging year for us all! Most of us had a bit of a washout in terms of racing, unfortunately, which has led to a bit of a shift in priorities and perspective. It might also mean that events have been rolled over to 2021.

As we switch from one year to the next, it’s really useful to reflect on what’s happened in the last year before looking forward. But in casting an eye back, be kind to yourself. This isn’t a time to berate yourself for all the things that you could, or should have done. Rather, find 3 positives for the year, things that you have done well at, and 3 things that you can learn, tweak or improve on for the year ahead.

By looking for those positives, or wins – no matter how small they are – it sets you in a better frame of mind going forward.

It helps provide a feeling of achievement, which will help motivate you later on.

Wins could be as big as completing a particular distance – whether cumulatively, or in one go, or as small as being consistent with doing strength workouts now that you have been working from home. There will be numerous wins over your year, even if you have to dig hard to find/see them. It’s important to celebrate these, especially in tough years like we’ve just been through.

Next, pick out a small handful of things that you can learn from, tweak, or change for the year ahead. It might be something like aiming to be in bed earlier most work nights so that you feel better; or making lunch the night before so that you’re not reaching for junk on your lunch break – meaning that your evening training is better. Or it may be that you’ve found that you want a coach to be accountable to, so that you train more efficiently and get more out of your time.

It’s very easy to be critical of ourselves. It’s more productive to take these criticisms and challenge ourselves to make small improvements. Small is the operative word here, because we want things to continue. If we try to make massive changes, we can get discouraged and give up.

As we move into the New Year, remember that motivation is fleeting. It can come and go. So build your time around easy habits. Set your training kit out by your bed so that you can’t avoid it in the morning! Make big dinners, so that you have left overs for lunch. Don’t go crazy smashing your body in the first 2 weeks of January – needing the next two weeks to recover!

Remember that action, especially consistent action, brings results and improvements in any and every area.

Those improvements will motivate you to keep going. Don’t just wait for motivation.

2021 can be a year of PB's across the board if you let it. It’s not about go big or go home. Give yourself the chance to be consistent, and be kind to yourself