Whether you know us through our adult or youth training programs, you're aware we prioritize consistent improvement.

Our adults have "Challenge Week" at the end of their training cycles.

Youth athletes hear a daily reminder to get a few more reps, add a little more weight, or run a little bit faster.

I hope 2024 has been a great year for you.

Whether it has or hasn't, though, there are always ways to improve moving forward.

It's a mindset that goes beyond training.

The habits that contribute to athletic success, better health and gains in training all benefit from a "1% better' mentality.

How we recover, how we take care of our bodies and minds, these all play significant roles in our success, too.

Do you have any habits you know can improve in the coming year?

Below are a few of the more common struggles related to athletic performance and overall health.

If you're falling short in one of these areas, let's get started on making steady, incremental progress.

NUTRITION - Eat A Wider Variety of Foods

The busier we are, the more likely it is that we choose from the same limited menu week after week.

After all, its one less decision to have to make each day.

There's a huge downside to that approach, because your immune system, energy levels, concentration, recovery and growth from exercise all benefit from nutritional variety.

We're learning more and more about how nutrition affects every aspect of our lives, not just the number we see on a scale.

Eating at least 50 different foods over the course of a week is a good general number to shoot for.

Track it this upcoming week. If you're at 30 or less, make eating a wider range of whole foods a priority to unlock a leaner, healthier, more energetic version of yourself.

TIME MANAGEMENT - Make Your Schedule More Efficient

We all get the same 168 hours to use each week, and it never seems like enough.

Many of us make it worse by spending too much time on things which don't bring us closer to our personal goals.

Key tasks at work or at home get put off while we deal with endless busy work, or other urgent requests for our attention.

Youth athletes spend a huge chunk of their weekly time in their sport, yet neglect the physical development training that would raise their game.

It's so easy to say "I'm too busy" while pushing harder tasks into the future.

For your own benefit, a better approach would be to streamline your schedule and open up a couple hours for something you know is important, but you've been neglecting.

And when you do, make sure to spend it wisely.

If its spending a couple extra hours with family or friends, be fully present the entire time.

If its fitness related, work hard and get the most out of your time.

The things we do often can, in the vast majority of cases, be condensed to achieve the same amount of progress in slightly less time.

We don't need to be in the gym or play our sport 7 days a week to get better.

We don't need to spend countless hours on a task when a more efficient approach would get it done in half the time.

Especially when it comes at the expense of neglecting something that'd provide a greater result.

MINDSET - Progress Isn't Linear, Be Patient

Even professional athletes have shortcomings in their skillsets that need work.

They're still pros though, because they've developed enough strengths over many years to offset them.

That's important to keep in mind when watching your son or daughter struggle with some aspect of their sport.

Every kid has holes in their game that are going to take time to develop. It's not going to change on your timetable, or even theirs.

The same goes if you want to lose weight.

You may experience weeks with rapid progress, followed by a couple that plateau or even lose ground.

Be patient, both with yourself and anyone else you hope to see succeed.

For anyone whose ever heard a financial advisor talk about the long term success of the stock market, it's a lot like that.

It's the sticking to it over the long run that fuels the greatest gains.

ENERGY - Tired Too Often? Check Your Fundamentals

Winter in New England can be tough on our energy levels.

For sure, the cold and darkness make it tougher to be active and productive.

But it doesn't mean you can't stay productive and enthusiastic this time of year.

There are many habits within your control that may be holding you down.

Are you not only sleeping enough, but are you getting quality sleep?

Do you stay hydrated throughout the day, not just when exercising?

Now that the holidays are winding down, are you ready to recommit to avoiding unhealthy foods?

Are you managing your breathing in a way to minimizes stress on your body?

There are numerous ways your daily habits affect your energy levels.

For some, the new year marks a time to make positive changes.

If that's you, keep in mind that habit based, process goals like those above work better than generic outcome goals.

New Year's resolutions to score more goals or lose ten pounds tend to fail because they don't guide your day to day actions.

We get frustrated not just with a lack of progress, but a lack of clarity.

On the other hand, resolving to drink 100 ounces of water, practice patience after a bad game, or to train hard no less than two hours each week are clear and actionable.

Find something important to you that needs improving.

Set a simple, actionable plan to act on it.

Then stick to it.

Six months from now you'll be glad you did.