A lifetime

Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.- Pat Riley  

In every situation, therein lies a decision; a decision to say yes or to say no, the choice between what is expected and what is unexpected, the opportunity to move forward or to dwell. In any discipline there are broad strokes that must be covered to get a better understanding, and then there are the details which can take a lifetime to learn, even longer to master. This comes with time, exposure, toil, failure, reflection, humility, time, learning, sharpening and more labor.

Most people come into the strength and conditioning world and begin to absorb everything they can. This is an overwhelming task for most without any prior experience. It’s relatable and honorable; however, most seem to think that after the broad strokes are covered, they’re good to go. WRONG! You’re fucking wrong! You've never been more wrong. You have no idea what you’re doing, which is a fact. You are in the first week of college, and no further. You don’t know what the juniors know, much less the seniors, and you certainly can’t even begin to comprehend what knowledge the honor students have acquired.

A CrossFit Hilton Head athlete once said “pump your brakes”, and today it holds value on a larger scale. You need to pump your brakes, take a look at what your goals are, break them down for both short term and long term, and write them down. Do you want to get better at CrossFit, better at the Olympic lifts, get better for your sport or simply improve your fitness? Evaluate, visualize, and record it.

After you visualize and acknowledge your goals, you need to write them down and start taking small steps towards them. This is where interaction with a coach comes into play. You need to surrender to the fact that you are only beginning to learn. Humbling? Maybe, but honestly you have to start somewhere, which is where you’re currently at, your first step towards the next level. 
You’re not owed anything. You actually owe this world some effort and this is a great way to begin paying that debt. You need to be ready to “clock in” when it’s time to train. You need to be alright hearing a coach telling you that you're fucking up. You need to be ready to be called out on your form, as well as your work ethic. You need to take this feedback and quickly adapt. If you cannot accept this feedback or you cannot adapt, this is NOT FOR YOU! I’m not saying this to be an asshole, but at this point if you’re not ready to hear feedback, then you are not committed.  I’m positive that the coach is not there simply to fuck with you and misguide you, but instead to usher you towards your personal goals. 

This article is a compilation of several thoughts I've had recently:

One – 80% of CrossFitters have shit form and they are alright with that.

Two – It takes a lifetime to pursue (but not necessarily obtain) perfect form (in any discipline).

Three – In any pursuit, you should insatiably be pursuing the safe and knowledgeable way to the next level, then practicing to hone that knowledge into skill.

Four – In any situation, you should be looking for ways to improve yourself as well as the situation. Then (which the majority of people will never do) you need to execute that task, you need to act on that thought.

Five – Nobody wants to fuck with the mundane. Bunch of pussies! How do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Murphy, Donnie Shankle, Rich Froning, Jon North, Matt Chan, Greg Everett, Julie Foucher, Louie Simmons, Shane Metcalf, Michael Jordan, etc got to where they are? Surprise: they DID NOT wake up as champions. They fuckin’ earned it while nobody was watching them, day in, day out. Either one set at a time, or one rep at a time, one workout at a time, one day at a time, or just choosing to live this way, the way of the sword. In order to be great (not good), you need to practice greatness and you need to replicate that over and over. In other words, practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

Six – CrossFitters pick weight up like shit. When a clock is involved, form disappears. Picking a weight up is the hidden chance to work on technique. You need to again “Pump your brakes” and focus on technique. Technique is holding you back, and it will continue to do so, until you acknowledge this and change this. It does not happen right away, it does not happen easily. It happens by continually meeting adversity and overcoming it through determination and adaptation. ADAPTATION! Be willing to change, or you will continue to fail!

Seven - Let's polarize this. In everything you do; there is an opportunity to get better or to get worse. That decision lies within. Every step of the way, you make the decision, then you live with it. Because of this, there should be no additional room for regret. There is only opportunity at each crossroads. You make a decision, and over time you become a byproduct of those decisions. This allows others to see what kind of person you are.

 Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.

Mario Andretti 

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Here is an article you must read about Kung Fu and it’s mastery:
http://www.mainewingchunkungfu.com/article6.htm

And perfect timing from CT Fletcher about committing to “the iron”:
http://youtu.be/Qc6EePCSuSk

Mediocre men work at their best; men seeking excellence strive to do better.
Edwin Louis Cole