How to Keep a Tennis New Year Resolution….

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fireworks New Year’s Resolutions are like a road map for success in tennis, business and life. Resolutions are challenging to keep – everyone seems to say. So is the pursuit of our dreams and ambitions in the face of living day to day.

What is important is to make our day to day living the path that leads to our dreams. To go some where you must first decide where it is you would like to go. Once that is decided, you can now decide how you want to get there and how fast it needs to happen. Know that there will be challenges along the way, things you forgot to consider, road closures and distractions from your destination.

How you deal with these “disconnections” will be determined by your resolve, your commitment to your destination and plan of action. Most of us are driven by the need to just survive each day. But let’s say you really want to be more in control of your life and where you are headed.

Here are 3 steps to help you:

Take a look at where you are now. You can’t decide where to go until you determine where you are now. Let’s say you are a club player rated 3.5.
How long have you been there? Are you recently bumped to that level or have you been that level player for the past 4 years.
Where do you want to be? Your goal is to become a 4.5 player.

Once you have determined where you are on the map and where you want to go you can begin to determine your course for getting there. How long you have been where you are will be the motivation for moving to the new destination.

Here are 3 questions that will help in deciding what your path might be:

Potential, do you have the athletic or supreme resolve to get where you want to be?
Resources, do you have the financial, professional, friend or family support to help make this happen? Do you have the necessary network?
Time, do you have the time to begin the journey full time or do you need to do it part time for a period of time?

Now that you have taken inventory of these questions, let’s see what will help keep you on your path on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Here are 7 factors to consider:

Motivation, what is your true motivation for your decision? Is it fame, money, pride, or sense of achievement?
Improved skills, is there a plan on how you will develop the improved skills necessary to continue your journey?
Support system, do you have a network of people that you can confide in, ask questions, and want to see you succeed in difficult times?
Recognize nay-sayers, do you know how to avoid situations and people who will try to discourage you along the way? There are many who do not want you to pass them on your way and many who cannot see what you see.
Create a winning environment, create a visual on the wall of others who have succeeded, read motivational biographies, talk to “can do” people and tell others of your plan so they can help you keep your commitment.
Create a reward system, just like you have to plan rest stops on your trip, take time to reward your self for progress made.
Re-evaluate and recommit, take time to look how far you have come, rest and go again with renewed energy.

The achievement of your goal will be a journey with many unexpected interruptions, challenges, achievements and surprises along the way. Should you reach your goal, you may find it was the journey that was as satisfying as the achievement of you destination.

The important part of a resolution is the process of evaluation, the commitment to make a change and the courage to make it happen.

My tennis resolutions for 2009 are 3:

Play tennis 3 times a week
Have a conditioning plan for strength, flexibility and speed
Keep a journal of my tennis journey to help my awareness of my journey and to be able to reflect upon my experiences

What are your tennis resolutions for 2009?

Happy New Year to you, may 2009 be the year you do!

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