With the start of a new year, we enter a period of reflection. A time to look back at what we did and what we want to do in 2022. It is no secret that the last two years has been exceptionally challenging and pushed our mental strength to the limit. What started as a short lockdown, became once again our new normal. The training programs went back to online with sporadic meetings across the street with friends and family. We went back to zoom meetings and phone calls to feel close to our loved ones. For a lot of people, the restrictions of the last two years broke them in some form.
What came of this though, is progress. Progress is achieved by breaking ourselves over and over, then fixing ourselves. Finding our limits and going beyond them. Under the supervision of a triathlon coach Melbourne, or an online triathlon coach, we train hard to gently break our bodies, then we recover to allow our body to become capable of enduring harder sessions and distances.
Over the next couple of days, take the time to focus on yourself and think about all that you have achieved and overcome over the last 2 years. With all this in mind, your goal is to recall and remember what and who helped you through life. These last two years have shown you how strong and capable you are and how far you can push yourself.
Believe it or not, there are a few lessons that the lockdown years have given us. In this blog, Mental Health and Wellbeing Counsellor Alejandro Rivera will highlight a few important facts that will be useful to take into this new year and make 2022 a good year for each of us.
- You are stronger than you might think: The last two years have thrown many unexpected challenges at us. Some of which were much harder than what we were used to, but we were triumphant. We made it out the other side. We have shown ourselves the power of what we can do. For 2022 the new challenge is up to you. The invitation is to go a beyond your wildest dreams and push yourself for a new goal, a bigger dream, to do something amazing.
- Your friends are family can be the fuel you need: During the multiple lockdowns that we endured, most of us stood up by supporting each other while staying apart. Those people who were there by your side, your coaches, your team mates. These are the people who can help you achieve your goals. They can help to push you to go stronger and help you achieve new personal bests.
- Creativity is a great ally: Lockdown forced us to be creative with our training. Remember all those online S&C sessions completed in your own home. Tinned food and wine bottles were used as extra weight, skateboards and kids toys were reinvented to help with glute exercises. All of these examples, and countless more, showed you how creative you can be and how far can you go using the bare minimum available to you.
- Value the small steps: Even the longest journey starts with one small step. Be sure to value how important these little steps are. Something as small as waking up earlier than usual can be a big victory. Those small, yet big, victories will add up every day and propel you towards your final objective.
- Don’t wait until everything is perfect: If we keep waiting until we get the perfect conditions, we will never be ready. There will always be something that is not perfect or not how we would ideally want it to be. Things will never be exactly the way we want them to be, sometimes it is just about doing the best you can with what you have.
- Be your best friend, not your worse enemy: We sometimes are too tough on ourselves. We dwell on what we did wrong instead of the small victories around what we did right. Sometimes we need to give ourselves a small break, and we need to be comprehensive with our own minds and bodies. Our bodies can perform amazingly, but they also need love and care.
- Understanding your physical and mental limitations: These two years have forced us to get in contact with ourselves. We were forced into the unknown and we were pushed to the limit both physically and mentally. Remember what you have overcome. It is no small feat, and you should be proud of making it through such unprecedented times.
Take the time this year to make 2022 a great year. Take the opportunity to break any mental barriers that have been set upon us. Make 2022 the year you become legendary and an example to those around us. You can be the best version of yourself as long as you believe in yourself and surround yourself with people you admire and are willing to share with and follow.
Be legendary!!! After remembering everything you have been through lately, you know you have it in you. Now go out and do it.