New Year’s RESILIENCE

New year new me. Turn a new page. Build the life you love. Live your best life now. Be the best version of yourself. Or a personal favorite, YOLO. These phrases come up a lot in our culture, especially around the new year. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these phrases, they don’t quite hit the mark on real change. Rather than soley focusing on outcome-based RESOLUTIONS, we believe the key to success is incorporating a process-based RESILIENCE. There are several things you can do to increase your resilience and ability to change.

Set up an environment for success. Your environment plays a major role in how much friction there is when working towards a goal. As a swim athlete living at home, one of the best things you can do is team up with your parents/guardians. They are for you and want to see you succeed! Take a look at what types of foods are most readily available to you. Talk to your parents and make a plan to always have fueling/recovery foods on hand. Offer to help with meal/snack prep, grocery shopping, or list making. Check out our SSDL Grocery List for some inspiration!

Add rather than subtract. One of the biggest mistakes people make when coming up with New Year’s Resolutions is trying to eliminate all the “bad” first. Research shows that focusing on adding in solutions first can lead to greater adherence. For example: Rather than eliminating all fast-food, use the Fast Food Menu Guide when you hit up McDonald’s. Rather than eliminating watching Tik-Tok videos in the evening, seek out videos that help you learn to cook/prep. Rather than immediately cutting out that pre-workout cookie, pair it with a cheese stick (or other protein source).

Make time to evaluate/assess. Don’t overlook this important step if you want to become more resilient! Once you start implementing habits and processes, set aside a small window of time each month to evaluate how you are progressing. Ask yourself: Is this sustainable? How am I feeling, both mentally and physically? How would I rate my energy levels this month? How am I performing at practices? How’s my sleep been? And so on. You can utilize the SSDL Wellness Questionnaire as one way to dig into these types of assessment questions. If something you’re implementing isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to adjust.

Have a growth mindset. A growth mindset isn’t afraid to fail. In fact, it welcomes failure. Rather than comparing yourself to other swimmers or having a perfectionist mindset (one that is afraid to fail), keep the long game in view. The growth mindset knows that things will not always be easy. Things may even be more difficult now than they will be down the road. When difficulties arise, the only way to grow is to lean into the trial. Become flexible when things don’t go your way. Be open to new opportunities. Identify and work on your weaknesses. Resilience is our ability to recovery quickly from hardship and change.

While this is not an exhaustive list, it’s a great place to start. Life is unpredictable, and many things that happen are completely out of our control. Focus on controlling your controllables, like those mentioned in this article. When you set up an environment for success, add rather than subtract, make time to plan and assess, and have a growth mindset, you will embody a stronger, more resilient you that welcomes life’s challenges.

All nutrition information presented and written within SwimStrongDryland.com are intended for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. The reader assumes full responsibility for consulting a qualified health professional regarding health conditions or concerns, and before starting a new diet or supplement.