Happy New Year!
Welcome to my first blog post of 2023!
Around this time of the year, many reflect on the past year while starting to think about the new year. I do the same thing every year, and so decided to write a post about what I plan to work on in 2023.
Make sure you still reflect on the past year as that’s a great way to determine where you can improve for the coming one. Most people wear activity trackers or smart watches that will give you a ton of data on how you did last year (e.g., sleep data, workouts, heart rate averages, and more). Start from January and think month to month about the positive and negative things that have happened to you last year. This post is meant to spark some ideas or inspire you to make some positive changes in 2023.
Below are the five things I will work on in 2023:
1. Recovery
Most weeks I train myself a couple of times a day, work in a gym/school for most of the day and train my own clients in my gym at night. This takes a toll on my body, and as I’ve aged, I realize the importance of recovery more than ever before.
I’ve talked about recovery a lot in my previous posts and videos, but this is something that is at the top of my list for 2023. I plan on getting a massage once a month and doing at least 4 recovery workouts per week in order to keep my body ready for the harder workouts and golf season. Recovery workouts don’t have to be long and they make a huge difference. I’ll also prioritize warm ups, cool downs, nutrition and sleep to reduce my risk for injury.
*** Pro Tip – Treat foam rolling or using a percussion gun like brushing your teeth (i.e., do it daily) and get a massage monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly (like regular visits to the dentist).
2. Reading (Listening) / Learning
Over the last few years, I have fallen in love with books again. When you’re younger, it seems forced to read in order to learn and get ahead in life. Once I was out of school, initially it was hard for me to stay engaged when it came to reading, but that has changed and I want to read, or listen, more than I ever have before. I’m always reading articles, attending webinars, researching training or taking certifications to improve my skillset, and reading biographies and other non-fiction books has really opened up my mind. Hearing other peoples stories of success and failure is fascinating and it can help you stay motivated.
Last year I got through 22 books and this year I’m aiming for 25! Below are 5 books that I enjoyed last year:
- Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- Atomic Habits
- Will
- Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art
- Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
*** Pro Tip – Listening to audiobooks while you train may make it easier to consume more books.
3. Drinking More Water
Everyone needs a different amount of water each day depending on your size and activity level. Most days, I try to drink a minimum of 3 litres of water to assure I’m properly hydrated, but when you’re going from one thing to another, it doesn’t always happen. I also want to reduce my caffeine intake and replace those coffees with water which will increase my hydration levels too.
Having a young family and multiple jobs makes it hard to drink water all the time because you’re just so busy. I know I can do better, and it’s something that will have a direct and positive impact on my life. So my plan is to have a glass everyday when I wake up and at every meal. Also, I’ll always bring a bottle with me when I’m working or training. Like I said in my previous post, PREPARATION is key.
*** Pro Tip – Keep a water glass on the kitchen table to remind you to drink water in the morning and at meals.
4. Growing / Expanding CSC Performance Coaching
A sincere thank you for supporting CSC Performance Coaching! 2022 was the best year we’ve ever had and we don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. More clients, more content and more fun! While I’m nearing capacity, I can take on a few more clients. Things I will do to expand CSC Performance Coaching in 2023:
- Publish at least one blog post per month for the CSC Performance Coaching Blog.
- Increase subscribers on the CSC Performance Coaching YouTube page by posting at least one video and 8 shorts per month. I will also share them to my Facebook group Golf Fitness Tips. Join now!
- Two new athletes into my Junior Golf Memberships. I love working with young athletes and I’ve had tremendous success working with young junior golfers virtually from Canada and from the USA. Contact me if interested!
- Find ways to spread my message and increase my brand awareness globally (e.g., podcasts, conferences, networking events, webinars). Connect with me if you think we can collaborate!
- New equipment and upgrades to my gym (e.g., stack system, ViPR Pro’s, kettlebells, paint refresh, and more).
5. Collaborate & Partner with Bigger Organizations
I’ve collaborated with other professionals in the past and it was a great experience. This past year, I partnered with Golf North Properties and worked out of the Oaks of St. George for the summer. This was a fantastic experience and it’s made me want to try this again with different golf courses and/or organizations. I have ambitions to collaborate and work with Golf Ontario, Golf Canada, Lancaster Performance, Matt Cupido, Ralph Bauer, Scott Cowx, John Stankov and the Hamilton Golf and Country Club , just to name a few.
Collaborating with different professionals is so rewarding because it’s a great way to learn from each other. My passion is junior athletic development, and all of these people and organizations work with juniors regularly. I know that together we can have such a positive impact on the development of junior athletes.
If any of you read this and want to collaborate, let me know!
In conclusion, I hope you gained something from this blog post and that you will reflect on the past year and try to improve in the New Year. Never stop trying to improve! From Average to Elite.
Stop misusing your time doing the same thing in the gym expecting a different result! Let me develop a personalized plan to maximize your potential and start living the life you deserve. We will identify your limitations and turn them into your strengths! Take your athletic ability, game, body and LIFE to the next level! Don’t waste another minute. LETS GO!
Check out the ways I can help you go From Average to Elite:
Thanks for reading! Until the next one……
Mark
CSC Performance Coaching
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