Dancer's Resolutions - 2016

For 2015, I went with the physical - more stretching, more yoga, more cardio and weights. And - go figure :rolleyes: - I saw really good results, which created a really positive feedback loop for me. My dancing was stronger, faster, more controlled, and so I worked out far more consistently than I ever have.

So for 2016, I'm going with the mental aspect of my dancing. I am going to work on my performance anxiety and my headspace, and the only reason I'm able to do it - seriously DO IT this year, as opposed to all the other weak attempts at dealing with the mental challenges of competing - is that I found results with the physical last year. If I work at mental conditioning/training, like I did with physical training, then I ought to see results, there, too. (Right? RIGHT??)

Last week I bought a book called "10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins" and it's an actual manual with practical tips and exercises for exactly what I need. I've gotten a head start on the new year and have been working on the ideas in the book (not a single self-help YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU BELIEVE cliche in it anywhere) and already feel like I've learned how to better visualize results and control my breath - and I'm only three chapters in.

So that's my 2016 goal: learn how to clean up my headspace and make my brain work for me rather than against me.





FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm a little anxious that this resolution won't go well. That despite my attempts, I'll still screw up. So now you see why my resolution is what it is, now, don't you? Ugh. :eek:
 
Thanks for sharing- this is something most people need to work on. I know I do. I haven't got in a space yet to create any resolutions, but I have a few things I am thinking about
 
Stop letting myself get distracted by trivial things and practice more. It's become too easy to let non-dance things sidetrack me.

Same thing with the gym.

Get back on a reasonable diet instead of wolfing down things that I know aren't good for me. Have to drop 10 pounds - tired of feeling porky although that seems to be my equilibrium point right now. Tail suits don't allow room to grow IME.

I do need to quantify the first two so I can measure progress or lack thereof.
 
To put more effort into developing my dancing skills independently rather than just in the partnership context.

To make sure I'm balancing my dance time with my life time...I can let it overtake at the expense of studying and relationships. I need to keep a balance.

To put effort into general fitness...I did the weight loss this year...next year I'm doing flexibility, endurance, and strength.
 
Mine is decidedly unexciting. It's to institute and persevere with a foot/ankle/balance routine. I have a variety of foot issues and there's no guarantee that strengthening them will help, but there's no harm in trying. Also, I have sprained both ankles over the years and that apparently effects one's proprioception--the nerves that pass that information to the brain get damaged. There are specific exercises to help re-establish the connection (balance exercises on unstable surfaces). While I have done a fair number of balance exercises over the years, plus a lot of ankle strengthening exercises, I haven't done very much of the ones that help with proprioception. Probably why my balance is a major weak point of my dancing. It is a tedious set of exercises.
 
Unstable surfaces such as bosu balls are excellent for proprioception. However, I also have knee problems and unstable surfaces are not recommended with those. :confused: I'm going to try the simplest of unstable surfaces--a folded towel--and proceed with (extreme) caution.
 
Practice, practice, practice...I have been unacceptably lazy in 2015. That, and get out of my head and trust that my body knows what to do.
 
For a couple of years I worked to develop some extra income through dancing. While this has been great, I prefer always to be dancing mainly because it is what I enjoy most in life. So one of my commitments in 2016 is to extend this even further where dancing is mostly out of joy and not too much about money.
 
My am partner and I have decided to do something together this year in terms of put mental practice; it's so easy to focus on the negative, the things we need to work on next time, the feelings of inadequacy because we haven't "gotten it" yet. So our idea is to write in our practice journal ONE GOOD THING that came out of our practice that day. I've already felt more positive leaving practice thinking about that OGT rather than the usual feelings of dejection that I haven't "gotten it" yet.
 
Mine is opposite many of yours. It's to have more FUN dancing. To stop taking it so damn seriously. To be able to look back at the end of the year and say to myself "this past year I learned a lot, but more importantly, I had a BLAST!"
 
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