Progression is a slow burn and is undervalued by many. Often we're focused on where we're heading and not how to get there. We live in a world where we can get anything we want with a click of a button. We can upgrade our sofas from the comfort of our old sofas using our smartphones. We can order dinner and expect it to be at our doorstep within a matter of minutes. In some ways, the world that has been created is nothing short of miraculous. We don't have to wait for much anymore! But when it comes to upgrading our health, improvements take a little more time, and a little more tenacity to get your hands on. I'm not usually one to publicly share much about myself but in the spirit of improving, I've decided to work on this. This is my story of how I've grown as a person and changed my outlook for the better.

I got the email last week confirming my health had dramatically improved. No, it wasn't from my doctor. It was from another company that has improved the lives of thousands through improving their lifestyle. The title read "Official Invitation - 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Individual Quarterfinals". An invitation that only the top 10% of competitors in each continent received. This is my retrospective of how I moved from the middle of the pack to where I find myself now. Now I'm not trying to toot my own horn here but instead, I want to highlight the consistent "building blocks" that have gotten me to this point and how I plan to become even fitter and healthier for many years to come. I didn't gain the knowledge or experience I have by looking for secrets or "hacks", I listened to those who have already had success and adopted the same principles that moved them closer to greatness.

How it started.

I grew up playing sports and ski raced competitively all the way up to adulthood. I was active, but I struggled with my weight. I was always a hefty guy. I had a desire to change this but didn't know where to begin. I ate "healthy, whole foods" but didn't understand how calories affected my weight. I would train long sessions in the gym day after day but I was still struggling in many areas of my fitness. Even though I was strong, I wasn't looking at the whole picture when it came to my health. I still strongly believe this was a large reason why I did not make it as a professional Ski Racer.

Fast forward a couple of years; I am no longer racing, put on a few more pounds, and was not feeling confident with my body image. My wife had been attending a new gym for a few months and is absolutely loving it. She kept poking and prodding me to join but without much traction, finally took matters into her own hands and signed me up herself for my fundamentals classes. She knew I'd get hooked.

This is where my journey started. Between the walls of a gym very similar to Black Tusk Athletics. A room filled with barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, and pullup bars, and a speaker blaring old-school rap. But more importantly, people who cared about me. People that wanted to see me succeed.

I felt vulnerable, intimidated, but empowered all at the same time. I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined classes. My coaches regularly adapted movements or weights so they were suitable for me while still giving me a challenge. In any given class, you would find members who moved like professional athletes working out beside 75-year-olds training to keep up with their grandchildren, and all of us in the middle ground just trying to become better than we were yesterday.

Here are the lessons I learned over the years that have brought me to where I am today.

1. Consistency over perfection.
Perfection doesn't exist. And to be honest, you don't even need to be close to perfect. Improvement lies in efforts to be slightly better than yesterday. It is a constant, unrelenting effort and can be applied to everything in life. It is how we can be a better lover, better with our money, health, you name it. If we make even a single improvement each day, we are moving ahead of where we were. Start with the easiest tasks, once you can repeat them day after day, aim ever so slightly higher.

2. Be vulnerable.
This may be the toughest part for many people but allowing yourself to be vulnerable allows others to give you support when you need it most. Remaining open to feedback, constructive criticism, or other perspectives from mentors allows you to absorb valuable information that keeps you moving in the right direction. What we practice becomes a habit. Allow mentors to guide you along the way and help you avoid practicing habits that will stunt your growth.

3. Create systems and routines that work for you.
I love collecting data. It gives me peace of mind and allows me to track progress. I love it so much so, that I start every day the same way. My alarm goes off, I stumble to the bathroom, go pee, then record my weight. I'm not weighing myself out of vanity, I don't have a magic number that I feel I should weigh. It is a simple way for me to understand how the food I'm eating is affecting me and if I am staying on track with my current goals. It is simple and repeatable. Making priorities convenient, ensures they are more likely to happen. Having a box of Oreos sitting in front of you on the counter makes it much more likely for you to mindlessly grab a few than if they were tucked away at the back of the pantry and hard to access, or better yet, not in the house at all.

4. Look at the bigger picture.
We often focus on specific details that we believe are the keys to our success without looking at all the pieces to the puzzle. Becoming stronger in the gym or better at your job doesn't just come from the effort you put in while you are working. Real progress is made when you take time to incorporate all aspects of improving. Rest allows you to recover, nutrition allows you to rebuild, and sleep allows you to stay healthy enough to continue improving. Blatantly ignoring certain aspects only provides you with a disservice and ultimately leads to burnout and resentment.

In closing, we all have something we can share. What may seem small to you may be a missing piece to somebody else's improvement. On the flip side, something that could help you grow may be sitting right in front of you and is waiting for you to reach out and grab it. Keep your mind open, stay true to yourself, and create an environment that allows you to be the best version of yourself.

Thanks for reading!
Coach Steven