This Year, Make Your Resolutions About Skiing

There’s a lot of inherent stress and anxiety with overly ambitious New Year’s Resolutions. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a little self-motivation, but don’t beat yourself up. This year you should make your New Year’s resolutions about skiing: that way, your resolutions can be equal parts physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

“This year, I resolve to ski more challenging terrain.” Get out and push yourself. Every time your brain tells you to take the easy way down, choose the more technical route. You’ll be amazed at what a) you can already do and b) how quickly the “easy way down” will become the “old way down.”

“This year, I resolve to ski more with my friends.” Use the sport to reconnect. Take the time on the chairlift to really catch up. Remember why skiing with your friends is the best way to build and maintain relationships out there? Because neither of you have anywhere else to be, and nobody else to be anywhere with.

“This year, I resolve to strengthen my body so that my skiing improves.” Giving yourself a goal that is related to your passion means that you will stick to it. There is a direct on-snow payout of hitting the gym. If the gym has started to feel boring and stale to you, work on visualizing skiing deep pow, bumps, hitting jumps and stomping landings while you’re working out. It will motivate and inspire you to stay committed.

“This year, I resolve to spend more time listening to the mountains.” This is the spiritual part. Connecting to nature is what will keep you healthy into your old age and skiing allows for you to be immersed in the wilderness as many times as a week as your schedule allows. Fresh air keeps your mind clear and young, shredding pow keeps your body light and free.

“This year, I resolve to leave my phone in the car while I ski.” If you can, unplug when you’re skiing. Test yourself. Get out there and don’t take your phone. Let your mind rest, let your eyes rest, let your ears rest, and just ski.