As a father with young kids, I am always on the lookout for tips on parental guidance. As ridiculous as it may sound, I approach parenting with some of the same perspective that I approach CrossFit. I feel like I'm always training for the unknown, and if I don't get comfortable with being uncomfortable, I may miss out on the joy of being with my family. With a parenting Suck List a mile long, I'm always looking for progressions and scalings and principles to give me greater insight into partnering with my wife and raising all these little people we love. Recently, I was listening to a radio program on parenting and the points being discussed were so salient, I couldn't help but lay them over the template of CrossFit. These points should be read and understood as guidelines for development; setting the stage for the best kind of growth.
Excellence is attainable, perfection is not.
Begin here with most things in life. Whether it's athletic, social, or spiritual, perfection will not be possible. Striving to get a little better every day means everything. Celebrate the days when it all feels like it comes together, and don't put your head in the oven when nothing goes right. You will have both days. Do not be satisfied with imperfection; excellence is a fight. Understand that the accumulation of days is the currency of excellence.
How does a healthy, well balanced teenager spell Love?: T.I.ME.
How do you get a healthy, well balanced Overhead Squat: T.I.M.E.
We have to make failure a safe thing in our home.
One of the greatest social agendas inside of CrossFit 310 is the conquest of taking the fear away from failure. Complete transparency is a primary reason why we post our numbers on the boards. You need to see my paltry squat numbers, Kyle’s non-existent Muscle-Up, Nathan and Jacob’s infant Handstand Push-ups, and Chastity’s mind bending battle with Double Unders. It's encouraging to know we're all working on something. You are supposed to fail over and over again as you come to class and WOD with your friends. You have to get those failed reps under your belt. You have to experiment and calibrate and overcome! This is what we do. We Teach, Practice, Play. Teach, Practice, Play. Inside of the radio program I was listening to, one of their quotes was, "When your kid spills his glass of milk, he doesn't need a lecture, he needs a rag." Take advantage of an environment that praises the process of failure to success. It's intoxicating.
Raise the kids you were given, not the kids you wish you were given.
This last point may not seem to cross over as easily as the other two points, but from my perspective of coaching hundreds of people over the years, this is one of the most profound points, and I spend a lot of time talking and writing about it. The kid you were given in CrossFit is you. Your body type, your skill level, your strength, your mobility, your schedule, and your age, is exactly what it is at the moment. Some of these things can be changed! You can change your shape, and your strength, your skill level, and your mobility! Wait long enough and usually your schedule changes too. The danger comes when you start comparing yourself with someone else. Frustration and irritation fester when I start to question why I can't squat like DJ, or pull as much weight as Alex, or develop as fast as Jacob. Everyone must reckon with what they are and build from there, otherwise growth will only take longer.
If you're at CrossFit 310, then you've found a group of people who are trying to move better, live healthier, and have as much fun as we can on the way. Keep playing and fighting for excellence. Listen to stories of profound change and look for any encouragement available. Use your story to encourage someone else.
This stuff is fun.
—Koach
