“I will study like an athlete”—that is the first line on the white, spotless opening page of my New Year’s notebook. I remember one night that I was staring at a chromebook screen, worn out at 11:50 p.m., asking myself again and again, “So how should I get this essay done in the next ten minutes?”

However, this year, that will all vanish. Now I have my brilliant new year’s resolution that will solve all my problems, and even better, it will make me study like an athlete.

I am not here to argue that  throwing balls into hoops can magically insert the causes of World War I into my brain. Intead, it is about the patterns of training, especially practicing everyday, getting enough sleep, and having a positive mindset which can be used not only by athletes but also for students to improve their own learning.

For instance, many serious athletes get at least 7 hours of sleep. In fact, many psychologists hypothesize that sleep can positively affect people’s ability to learn, according to Chronobiology and Sleep Institute.

“On the professional level, I know sleep is really important,” girls soccer coach and  psychology teacher Michael Khoury said. “They really stress sleep as part of the recovery, because your body needs it.”

Seeing an athlete cramming a seven hour overnight training session until 3:00 a.m. would be horrendous and unimaginable. However, it happens so frequently amongst students for their tests. Many students stay up past midnight to write essays before a deadline, and it is thought to be normal, even though it is just an ineffective and exhausting way to study.

Adopting a positive attitude can also be learned from athletes in many ways. Although it may vary between teams, in the girls’ soccer team, Khoury said that he tries to focus on positive aspects as a coach, which further motivates students and allows them to freely strive for improvements.

“The whole atmosphere of the culture of the program is different when you have that positive mindset,” Khoury said. “So when I’m rewarding the good things and not talking about the negativism all the time, the players also do that. So amongst themselves, they aren’t so negative… And in this environment mistakes are okay, they feel free to play and don’t worry about the mistakes because they know that it’s gonna be okay.”

This positive mindset is exactly what I need to make my learning more effective and enjoyable. For example, when I got excellent grades on the first English test last year, I felt that there was only more to lose. I felt like “defending” my average rather than “progressing” it, and not only did it distress me emotionally, but also dropped my grade in number. This year, I will focus on the positive aspects of studying, like learning and applying new knowledge, which will be more effective and enjoyable than constant negativism.

Overall, being an athlete isn’t just about being good at sports; it is about being an effective learner. So often in school, sports are regarded as the opposite of studying, and the science behind the rigorous athletic training is respected less than what the athletes deserve. However, students should know that there is methodical training behind the physical mastery of all athletes, and especially that many of the habits can be applied to themselves in studying. Practicing everyday, getting enough sleep, and having a positive mindset is what can be learned from athletes. If you are someone like me who want a more effective, enjoyable, and sustainable study habit, it might be the time to set up your New Year’s resolution and tell yourself: “Let’s study like an athlete.”