My main goal for 2015 was to qualify for and compete at the IUKL World Championships in Dublin, Ireland. In the last week of November, I found myself up on the platform next to two of the top female lifters in Kettlebell Sport, lifting a 24kg kettlebell – exactly where I wanted to be. While my performance fell short of my expectations – 87 repetitions instead of the 95+ I was hoping for – I’m grateful for the experience and excited to improve for my next competition. In my opinion, the best coach/teacher always remains a student. The biggest takeaway I got from traveling to the World Championships this year is how much I have to learn about Kettlebell Sport, competing, coaching, and making a living doing what I love. There’s nothing like accomplishing something you’ve wanted for a long time to spark a whole new list of goals!

While I won’t bore you with all of my personal goals – the list is too long – I will share 5 ways I’m planning to “remain a student” and improve my coaching in 2016:

• Practice the skills I want to improve daily (Kettlebell Sport, handstands and arm balances, gymnastics strength, mobility, sales and marketing, growing my personal brand, piano, guitar, writing).
• Attend at least 3 workshops/seminars (Agatsu upper body mobility, Ultimate Athleticism, Kettlebell Sport private with top coaches in the sport, to name a few).
• Network with fitness professionals in my area (San Diego is the fitness mecca!).
• Take fitness classes or attend meet ups once every 1-2 weeks (visit gyms wherever I travel or at home, learn acro yoga, take a gymnastics class).
• Teach as many workshops as I can and get feedback from attendees (to sign up for my next Kettlebell Sport workshops at Long Beach Kettlebell Club on January 16 and Fitness on Fire on January 17, email info@kbfitbritt.com).

While becoming a better coach is my focus, you can relate these 5 points to becoming better at anything. Become a lifelong student in whatever you are passionate about and you will reap the rewards.

What do you think is the most important quality of a good coach/teacher? How do you plan to “remain a student” or improve your skills in 2016?