New Year’s resolutions are hard to keep. Especially for athletes with crazy schedules and extremely difficult workouts; how can one person have this much motivation? It's quite simple to create a New Year's Resolution as an athlete: "I will average more points per game" or "I will not make an error while playing defense;" but before achieving these performance goals, you have to put in the effort to be successful. You must ask yourself a few questions: "How can I achieve these goals?" "What can I do to be better than last year?" "Is there anything I need to work on?"

Don't leave the gym on a unsuccessful day.

Every athlete is guilty of a bad lifting day, you're lying to yourself if you can honestly say you've never done so. On those days where you feel fatigued and you tell yourself you will just work harder tomorrow, you lose out on a day that you could have enhanced your explosive abilities. Next time you think about leaving the gym early or don't feel like getting up, think about your New Years Resolution and how much better of a competitor you can be.

Be a great teammate.

It is extremely rare to see an unselfish team that all share a common goal: winning. If someone scores after a great play, congratulate them, do not just sit on the bench and be upset because you're not participating in the game! When you see a teammate struggling through the workout or any other obstacle in their life, encourage or try to help them. Don't just focus on yourself, it is a TEAM for a reason! When everyone on a team knows their efforts are valued, they produce great work and are more successful.

Come to practice with a goal in mind.

Ever hear the quote "Practice like a champion, helps you win like a champion?" Because it's 100% true. Take every practice and every rep you get seriously because it will translate to game day. As you're lacing up for basketball or stretching for baseball, create a goal for how you can better yourself opposed to yesterday. Don't think about tomorrow's practice or the game next weekend, focus on each rep and give 110%. This is how you can better yourself as an athlete.

Balance your time accordingly, STUDENT-ATHLETE!

There have been too many times in my life, and i'm sure many others, where you're thinking about how bored you are or what you can do other than binge on Netflix. As an athlete, you have games, practice, workouts, and, on top of that, school work. With that being said, it is your job to plan your time accordingly and be ahead on your homework, papers and assignments. You do not have the same amount of time on your hand as other student's do, so the next time you're thinking about going out or playing xbox.. open up the textbook!

Find something that relaxes you, there is nothing worse than being stressed after a game.

Every athlete is going to have a bad game or practice, it's inevitable. It is imperative to reflect on your performance and think how you can better yourself to prevent the mistake from happening again. There are too many athlete's that take their stress out on their parents, teammates and coaches. I am here to inform you that not only is that the worst possible scenario, you are building bad relationships with your teammates and they will portray you as a terrible teammate. Find something that helps you get your frustration and stress out without taking it out on someone that cares about you.

Have a safe and happy New Year, I hope you succeed in your sport!