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In 2016, I was an out of shape mature woman who had trouble climbing the hill behind my house. I was overweight, and I felt I was sagging into my mature years. It was not a pleasant thought.
I had years of physical activity behind me. A black belt in karate, a red belt in Tae Kwon Do, and a steady program of Pilates and Yoga in the years following. But I had grown lazy, and inattentive to my physical needs. This was not what I wanted aging to look like, and I was determined to change the trajectory I was on, and get my physical health back on track.
I had two options nearby. I could do yoga, or I could join a Crossfit gym. I knew yoga but it wasn’t the kind of challenge I was looking for. I had no idea what Crossfit was so I signed up for a complimentary coaching session. Little did I know that this would change me in ways I could never have imagined doing at this time of life.
Crossfit is not for the faint of heart. The workouts are a challenging sixty minutes of strength, cardio and mobility exercises that transform your physical and mental well-being, as well as develop character!
My first workout was discovering my baseline. Where was my stamina level? That’s already covered. My strength? Reasonable. My mobility? Shoulders were tighter than Fort Knox. Mauricio, my instructor, gave me hope that I could get better if I was consistent.
Fifteen months later, I’m doing Olympic weightlifting and pushed 245lbs on my last Deadlift, and can Back Squat 165lbs. I can throw 10lb wallballs in double digits, and I’m getting better at chin-ups on the bar with the help of rubber bands. My stamina has increased with rowing and grueling time routines that leave you soaked and feeling invigorated, and I continue to work on opening up my shoulders centimeter by centimeter. Progress comes at a cost.
When I was earning my red belt in Tae Kwon Do and my black belt in Shotokan karate, I realized there were five things I learned that impact everything in your career, and life, and applies to everyone no matter what they choose to do.
1.Commitment . You need to make a commitment to your success, to the routines, to the challenge, and to the results you want to get. I’m fairly competitive with myself and once motivated, it’s hard to get me to stop.
2. Focus . You must be 100% present to the moment, and to the task at hand. Give it your full attention, and you will get results.
3. Discipline . It takes thousands of hours of training to earn a black belt, and it takes hundreds of hours in the gym to develop the stamina, strength and mobility to lift heavy weights, keep pushing through the discomfort of one hundred wall balls, fifty burpees, and one hundred-fifty sit ups, as well as hang from the bar while getting your toes to do some semblance of aiming for your head! What are you doing daily to challenge yourself?
4. Consistency . Here’s where most of us struggle. Keep showing up. Not just when you feel like it, but when you don’t. Look for the ways you procrastinate and fight it. Thousands of repetitions sound boring, but if you have a goal in mind you will get results. This year I plan to deadlift 300lbs but I won’t get there if I stay in the lower numbers. I must push through the fear, the hesitation and the physical limitations by working consistently on the challenge. Without consistency, your success will be hit and miss. You may not realize your ambitions.
5. Perseverance. There are many ways in which your good intentions fall apart. You don’t lift 245lbs the first time out. You may have to drop the bar a few times before you get there. In a fight, you may get knocked down but you will get up. In your career, you may not realize your potential until you’ve had a few failures along the way. These failures are simply the growing pains of learning what it is you need to learn. Never give up, and never give in is part of living life to the fullest.
Related: 6 Elements CrossFit Taught Me About Business and Life
In my business, I’m constantly looking for ways to expand and challenge myself. Sometimes I am disappointed in my lack of focus and consistency, or my low level of discipline, but I am committed to my success and I always persevere and get myself back on track. Can you say the same?
These five pillars embody the strength, stamina and mobility that are required to truly make a difference in your life and will make you a champion if you stay focused on your goals.
As you consider your stretch goals this year do you have the support you need to make it happen? Are you prepared to make the commitment to yourself that you can and will achieve greatness in the months to come? Do you have the discipline and consistency to show up and do what you have to do no matter what? What will that look like?
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What are you committed to in your life?
2. Where do you put your focus?
3. What energizes you to maintain discipline?
4. Where are you consistent/inconsistent?
5. What failures have proved to be the greatest lessons learned?
6. How did you persevere through the transitions?
When you can answer these questions honestly, you will discover that your ability to make change in your life is easier than you thought.
If you need help to stay on track, and maintain your focus and commitment then reach out and take advantage of my complimentary discovery session to help you reach your goals.