NEW YEAR, NEW LEVEL

I recently came across a bit of goal-setting research out of Ohio State: Just under 10 percent of people who make a New Year’s resolution meet their goal by year end—and a full 43 percent are knocked out before January 31.

New Year’s resolutions may not be the most effective way for athletes to improve their game. But January is a great time to start building the positive habits you need to establish a winning mindset—without a second thought.

This year, instead of making a resolution, I invite you to start, stop, and continue these five mental habits that fuel peak performance:

Stop: Comparing yourself to others.

I see athletes fall into the comparison trap every day—and their performance suffers for it. Because when you are constantly looking to the left or right, watching others play their game, your head is not in yours.

Remember, peak performance looks different for every athlete. Stay focused on what you can control—your own game—and keep your attention on the moment.

Stop: Striving for perfection.

Confession … I used to be an absolute perfectionist, through and through. It hurt my productivity, slowed my growth, and nearly cost me my career. Until it dawned on me—just because you haven’t done it yet doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

That mantra shifted my perspective on performance in a powerful way. Instead of fearing failure—and overthinking every mistake— I decided to move forward, no matter how messy. And I encourage you to do the same.

When you stop striving for perfection and reframe peak performance as moving forward, even when it scares you, no misstep, setback, or opponent can stand in your way.

Start: Training your mind and your body.

In the heat of the moment, your muscles don’t win the game. Your muscle memory does. And no muscle has a better memory than your mind. Training your mind, like training your body, takes intentional practice, persistence, and rest.

Every time you respond with resilience, actively focus on the moment, meditate, or intentionally create a calming environment, you build up this powerful muscle and replace negative responses with empowered ones. By strengthening your mental muscle memory, you make peak performance automatic, no matter what the game throws your way.

Start: Getting great rest.

Rest and recuperation—mentally and physically—are vital to peak performance. Quality sleep is your fuel and mental rest creates resilience, in the game and in day-to-day life.

To encourage truly restorative sleep, be mindful of what you listen to, watch, and think about before you go to bed. Our minds are particularly impressionable just as we’re drifting off to sleep. That’s why taking time to unplug, clear your head, and slow your thoughts before you turn out the lights can lead to healthier and more energizing sleep.

Great athletes understand peak performance starts long before the game, with a properly fueled, well-rested, and fully charged body, led by a clear and calm mind.

Continue: Persevering through mistakes, losses, and setbacks.

Mistakes can weigh you down—or motivate you to keep pressing forward. What sets elite athletes apart is their ability to make a mistake, learn from the outcome, and tackle their next challenge stronger and sharper than ever.

Instead of letting that setback keep you awake all night—or replaying that misstep until it’s burned in your memory—I encourage you to practice celebrating the lesson in every loss. Overthinking a mistake does not make you a better athlete (in fact, it hurts your game!). But using the failure as a data point and making a different decision tomorrow reframes that setback as a steppingstone to smarter, stronger performance.

To learn more about our mental approach to physical performance and start training your game-winning mindset, visit elevive.com.