Welcome, 2021! - January 2021
I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and has been able to enjoy the holidays while remaining safe and healthy. I know that 2020 was not the easiest year and it brought with it a lot of challenges and hardships. It is easy to want to forget about 2020 and everything that came with it as fast as possible and move into 2021 with a fresh outlook. However, before setting your 2021 goals, intentions, or New Year’s resolutions, I challenge both you and your athletes to reflect on 2020 and identify something that they were able to accomplish or something they were proud of. Finding your strengths, help recall back positive experiences which in turn can help increase confidence. Finding the positive is all about perspective and what you choose to see and recall. I recently shared the poem “Worst Day Ever” by Chanie Gorkin on my social media page, but wanted to share it again in case you did not see it. The poem is all about perspective and might help you identify some from the year 2020:
Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don't try to convince me that
There's something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don't
It's all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be attained
Only if one's surroundings are good.
It's not true that good exists
I'm sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It's all beyond my control
And you'll never in a million years hear me say that
Now read it from bottom to top, the other way,
And see what I really feel about my day.
Now that you have had a chance to reflect on the past year; hopefully, you have realized that you are stronger and more resilient than maybe you thought you were.
First, it is an intention.
Then a behavior.
Then a habit.
Then a practice.
Then a second nature.
Then it is simply who you are.
- Brendon Burchard
Heading Into the New Year with Intention:
Goals vs Intentions
As we move into the new year it is common for athletes, parents, and coaches to set New Year’s resolutions and goals; however, this year I challenge you to focus on setting an intention. Why? When you set intentions, you start to become more aware of thought and behavior patterns you have each day. So, what is an intention? A lot of people are confused as to what an intention actually is. An intention is different than a goal. A goal has a specific outcome. “I want to make Regionals this year” is an example of a goal. Intentions are more about awareness than they are about achievement. “I want to be more present at practice” is an example of an intention.
Here is the difference between Goals and Intentions:
Goals are focused on the future. Intentions are in the present moment.
Goals are a destination or specific achievement. Intentions are lived each day and are independent of achieving the goal. Goals are external achievements. Intentions are about your relationship with yourself and others. Having intentions allows you to focus on how you want to be in the moment, how you want to feel right now, and every day. It’s not about winning or losing; it’s about tuning in to your moment to moment focus. This means you live life by your values and what matters most to you.
Try having your gymnast set an intention for the next month. Intentions can be single words like:
* Peace
* Calm
* Patience
* Acceptance
Or they could be phrases like:
* To be afraid but do it anyway
* To show up for myself
* Allow myself grace
Interested in More Information?
If you are interested in learning how to incorporate Mindfulness training into your gymnastics training, please reach out! I offer the following programs:
1. One-on-one sessions
2. Small group sessions
3. Large group sessions
4. Monthly sessions for clubs
What I Have Been Up To!
It has been a busy time of year, but I have had so much fun showing many gymnasts from across the country how to train their brains like a muscle! Also, I could not be more excited to announce that my new 4-week interactive course Train Your Brain Like a Muscle will be launching January 20, 2021. This is an interactive program that will show gymnast:
1. The importance of training their brain;
2. The best way to train their brain;
3. How to use the breath and embrace all emotions to achieve desired athletic performance; and
4. How to change their thinking to increase their confidence.
Each week will not only have a lesson but will have a hands-on activity to put that week’s lesson into practice! Also, each week there will be a weekly Zoom session for them to discuss what they learned and to answer any questions they may have. This course is fitness for the brain! If you are interested in more information email me at ariana@themindfulgymnast.com or visit my new website themindfulgymnast.com!
Follow me on Instagram: @themindfulgymnast and Facebook: Ariana LeBlanc