Ten New Year Resolution Ideas for Gymnasts!

2016 is here, and your Destira team hopes you were able to spend time with family and friends, whether simply relaxing or having a ball. You may also be using it to think of ways you can improve yourself in 2016, maybe in school, at home, or in gymnastics. If the latter, let us help!

Below, we’re providing 10 New Year resolution ideas to help you beat your last scores, fulfill your #gymnasticsgoals, or just be a better teammate. Read through them, pick one or even three if you wish, and then make a plan to conquer them in 2016. You CAN do it!

1. Have a positive attitude. It’s easy to get upset when something goes wrong, but the problem can’t be fixed if you allow yourself to be down about it. Instead, make the most of the situation by considering how it could have been handled differently and vowing to try it that way next time. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, in addition to being more upbeat!
2. Put your all into practice. You may feel like the only performance that matters is what you do the day of meet, but realize how you approach practice makes all the difference. Maximize your time in the gym, and you’ll be happy with the improvements you’ll see. Even if you don’t compete, it’s a good idea to always give it your all in order to start that trend in every aspect of your life.
3. Find a good balance. No, we’re not talking about the balance beam! We’re referring to all that you have going on in life. From practice to meets to school to friends, there’s no doubt that you are a busy gal. Don’t rely on mom to keep it all together for you. Make a schedule of your own and discuss it with your family so that you can find balance and have it all.
4. Take care of yourself. Like we said, you’re always on the go. This means you’ll need to take good care of yourself to ensure you’ve got the energy to do it all. Get at least eight hours of sleep per night, and eat as healthy as possible to be in tip top shape for meet season or life in general.
5. Listen to your elders. Believe it or not, your coaches and parents know what they’re talking about. Your coaches watch you practice and perform day in and out, so if they make a suggestion, try it. On the other hand, your parents have a pretty good idea what’s best for you outside the gym to help you find success in other areas of life, so give them attention too.
6. Support your teammates. When you think your struggle is all too real, remember that your teammates are facing the same exact or very similar challenges. Be especially kind when someone is down and find support in knowing you’re in it together.
7. Do what makes you happy. If you’re putting 40+ hours in for training make sure you take time out to do something you enjoy. Sure, you may not feel like you have a spare minute, but know that you need to do whatever it is that makes you most happy, whether a mani/pedi or shopping for a new leotard to be on trend this season.
8. Remember to smile. The stress of a new gymnastics move or in competition can cause you to forget one truly important thing – your smile. It’s especially crucial at meets, when your contagious smile can move the crowd to cheer and even bring in additional points from your judges. So make it a point to smile whenever possible, and it’ll come naturally when it’s needed most.
9. Be confident. Being confident is important because your attitude alone plays a huge role in how you’ll perform at practice or in competition. If you’re working hard to be your best gymnast, you should find confidence in that simple fact. Believe us when we say you deserve it.
10. Challenge yourself. Maybe you want to improve your scores over last year; maybe you want to go for gold; or maybe you just want to pull off that back handspring at the gym. No matter where you are in your gymnastics career or hobby, challenge yourself to be better.

Remember, when going for one of these New Year’s resolutions, to make sure your goal is specific and measurable so that you understand what it is you’re trying to do and know when you’ve accomplished it. More importantly, make sure the goal is within your reach in order to keep yourself sane; you’ve got plenty of time to go bigger. Once you’ve set your resolution, put a smile on your face and go for it!

On behalf of Destira, Happy New Year and best wishes for a wonderful 2016!

Tips for Setting Your New Year’s Resolution:

• Relevant – Is this the goal you should be working towards at this time?
• Specific – Just exactly what is it you want to accomplish?
• Measurable – How will you know when you’ve fulfilled your goal?
• Realistic – Can you truly accomplish this goal in the near future, or should you set a smaller goal?