The Art Of Reflection- Looking Back On A Crazy 2020
They say hindsight is 2020 and there is definitely a pun intended when it comes to reflecting on 2020. As athletes and human beings it is more important than ever to reflect on a year that we will never forget (although I’m sure some will want to). December is the best time of year to look back on the past 12 months and get reflective. I recently listened to an interview with Kobe Bryant and after EVERY game he watched EVERY game. And I don’t just mean watched, he DISSECTED it. Rewound, played again, stopped here, slow motioned there. He ran a fine tooth comb through every shot, every play, and was constantly striving to improve as well as become more aware of his mistakes. As competitive athletes, we are constantly striving to increase our performance. Every race and/or event is an opportunity to do your best and a way to measure yourself against others and most importantly yourself. Reflecting on these moments is one of the most beneficial ways to gain a heightened awareness of how you can improve as well as in what ways you succeeded. Here are some exercises you can do to reflect more effectively and set specific goals for the future.
Ask Yourself- In what ways did I succeed? How did this improve my performance?
Break it down into categories- Ask yourself how you succeeded Mentally, Physically, Spiritually, and Emotionally.
Example- Last year I succeeded mentally and spiritually by increasing my time spent meditating and visualizing by 5-10 minutes/day. This enabled me to stay mentally strong when things got challenging. It also helped me with my descending skills because I was able to stay relaxed, present, and confident through technically challenging terrain. I improved physically by riding more hours than ever, lifting more weights in the offseason, and improving my daily nutritional habits. I saw increased endurance, a stronger core, better power transfer, and improved posture on and off the bike. Working on my diet helped me recover faster between workouts and races, sleep better, and have more energy throughout the day. All of these things helped me to become more emotionally stable and feel more balanced in my life.
Ask Yourself- In What Ways Can I Improve? How will this increase my performance in the future?
Again, break it down into categories- Ask yourself how you can improve Mentally, Physically, Spiritually, and Emotionally.
Example- I could improve my performance by doing more yoga, meditation, and core strength (YMC) during the race season. Last year I did a great job doing these things in the offseason, but once the intensity of racing and hard training ramped up it became harder for me to stay motivated to keep them going when I was tired. Making time for YMC at least every other day will help to keep me balanced (on and off the bike), recover faster between workouts, prevent injury, and strengthen my weaknesses (become less cycling dominant). I could also increase my cadence work on the bike to help improve pedal stroke efficiency and increase endurance. Single leg cadence drills help decrease leg imbalances on the bike and have a more balanced power output. Single leg strength training and standing yoga poses will help assist with this as well which I know I should do more of during the race season. Setting aside 30-60 min a day to meditate and do yoga will keep me balanced spiritually and emotionally. It reminds me to breathe, stay present, focus, engage my core, and foster a deeper awareness of my thoughts, feelings, goals, fears, and insecurities. This will improve my performance on and off the bike by becoming less reactive and more in control of my emotions, therefore becoming mentally stronger.
Setting Specific and Realistic Goals for the Future-
Now that you have a clear understanding of what things you did well and what things you can work on it is time to set some goals. Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable and realistic. They can be broken down into three categories-
Outcome, Performance, & Process-based Goals-
An outcome goal is a primary goal that you are working towards. While outcome goals are hugely motivating, they are not under your control as they are affected by how others perform. Both process and performance goals will help you work towards achieving your outcome goals.
A performance goal is a performance standard that you are trying to achieve. These are the performance standards you set for yourself to achieve if you are going to build towards your outcome goal. Over time, performance goals build upon one another to help you achieve your outcome goal.
Example- One of my outcome goals is to get a top 10 at Unbound Gravel (if I can get in) in 2021. A performance goal that will help me achieve this is to be able to hold 230-250 watts NP for 10+ hours.
A process goal is what you will actually have to do to achieve a larger performance goal. Process goals focus on the process of achieving your goal, instead of on the big goals themselves. Process goals are 100% controllable by the individual.
Example- I will do at least three 10+ hour rides to train for Unbound Gravel in the months leading up. I will increase my power output by staying consistent with my training and slowly increasing my muscular endurance and aerobic capacity.
Understanding Your Why-
When setting your goals it is important to understand the purpose of each goal. Ask yourself- Why is this important to me? A clear understanding of your why will keep you motivated on the hard days when you don’t feel like doing the work. A clear sense of purpose enables you to focus your efforts on what matters most, and motivates you to take risks and push forward regardless of obstacles and other difficulties.
How to Find Your Why-
Your “Why” comes from within you. It is a feeling that compels you to do the work you want to do even if it requires short-term sacrifice. Regardless of those sacrifices, you still feel driven to pursue the work you really want to do because it gives you meaning and sense of purpose. It can be summed up in one word- PASSION!
Now that you’ve reflected on the past year, set goals for the upcoming year, and identified your WHY, it is time to write them down and post them someplace they can be easily seen. I post my goals right next to my computer desk so I am forced to see them multiple times a day. I also recommend making a vision board to help inspire yourself even more.
Wishing you all a wonderful rest of 2020 and a productive and passionate 2021!
Thanks for reading!
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