Army!
I must say that I am stoked to see you all embracing SugarWOD the way you have! I LOVE seeing you support each other in that app! It is an absolutely fantastic tool to obtain and document measurable, observable and repeatable data.
Our programming will continue to improve because of your input so THANK YOU! I urge you to USE this data as CTF will: to help you EVOLVE in your training.
There is ALSO a secret in here that you must not miss, or we at CTF are failing you in our mission of “educating and empowering you to live your dream.”
Measurable, observable, repeatable data is only ONE part of the story.
Carol Dweck writes about the OTHER part of the story in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Essentially writing that human beings with a “fixed mindset” focus only on the result (the number), while humans with a “growth mindset” focus MOSTLY on the effort. The difference in happiness and productivity is profound.
Numbers are fantastic. They give us “check-ins” and help us answer the question, “Is what we are doing working?” CTF LOVES numbers!
However, numbers can also be an external stimulus. Meaning they cause us to compare ourselves to others (not necessarily a bad thing unless our SELF-WORTH hinges on the result!) How many wins and losses does our team have? How strong or fast am I compared to a group? Which group? What “grade” am I? Is there a curve? If I’m not first, I’m last!
If our mental focus is misplaced or our mindset is weak, addiction to external metrics as the main indications of our success can become detrimental mentally, emotionally, spiritually and maybe even morally.
Individuals with a fixed mindset come unglued when they don’t “win”. They will cheat. They will quit. They will illegally dope. They won’t even try at all if they think they can’t be the best, look the best or be the smartest. They play small and sit out on the bigger (scarier!) opportunities that could mean true breakthroughs, epiphanies, revelations and success.
It is okay to be disappointed when you don’t get a result you worked your ass off for. But results, in fair competition, are a meritocracy. You simply haven’t EARNED it yet. So what?
Are you better or worse in the long-term for trying? By all means, be disappointed. Allow yourself a set time (10 minutes, an hour, until midnight…) to FEEL these emotions and then, move on with what you have learned and get after it ANEW! Don’t live life as a victim!
The growth mindset insulates you from the folly of victimhood. In a growth mindset, your emotional content– YOUR FATE!- is up to you. It doesn’t matter what happened, it matters what you do about it.
I urge you to practice THESE THOUGHTS while recording your data:
-Compete WITH each other, not AGAINST each other. One team. Compete, in Latin, means “strive together”.
– Ask yourself: “Was I safe? Did I have fun? Did I learn something?”
– When things spin out, ask yourself: “Am I HERE? NOW?” Come back to the present.
– Always ask yourself: “What can I do OUTSIDE the gym to be better INSIDE the gym?” This is cyclic and a gift that never ends when used correctly.
– And REMIND yourself in your life: “This is the path I have chosen.” If it sucks too much for too long, change something.
Don’t make it solely about data. Have fun with the combination of Effort AND Data. Practice emotional content, not perfection. The results will blow your mind.
I love you guys. Live with Conviction. -Craig