Tracking your progress

Here I'll share some tips on tracking your progress as part of the self-improvement blog series. Keeping a record of progress can be hard due to the fact that it is difficult to calculate or measure. Some achievements show quantifiable progress while other developments are not quantifiable. For example, you can measure how high you can kick but you cannot measure how well you dance. That raises the question of, "How do I know if I've improved?"

Sometimes it is frustrating to see little improvement on a week-to-week basis. So here's advice that can help you improve in the long run.

• Remind yourself of the bigger picture, the physie year is around 40 weeks.
• If you are relatively new to physie, look back at how far you've come in a short period of time.
• Listen to praise and feedback from your teacher and peers. Believe it when they tell you that you're doing well (seriously you are) and trust that they will guide your further progress.
• Video yourself so that you can be your own audience and critic (but don't be too harsh on yourself). At the end of the year video yourself again and see the difference.
• Practice diary - Write your thoughts, questions, goals and achievements ... I can now touch my toes ... Tonight I learnt the last 16 counts of swing ... You can even doodle/sketch your routine.

Start now! Competition season is just around the corner.

Beyond one's control

As we enter the month of November, junior repechage and zone championships have already come and gone. This means that competitions on the national level are underway.

Welcome to my newest instalment in the self-improvement blog series where I'll be discussing the factors that you can and cannot control in a competition setting.

Factors that are beyond your control:

• who your competitors are
• the judges' decision 
• how well others dance

Factors that you can control:

• being the best dancer you can be
• what you eat, how much you've rested 
• hours spent practising 

Focus on the things you can control and always stay positive.
Good luck to all the girls and ladies who are competing at nationals.