Setting goals is a good thing to do. From New Year’s resolutions, to how many steps we take in a day, goals can keep us accountable and we work hard to achieve them. When we do achieve them, it brings us this wonderful, rewarding feeling.
Ever since I realized CrossFit was my jam, probably around 3 and a half years ago, and realized it was something I wanted to put a lot of work into to get better, I’ve been setting goals. A lot of goals, long lists including hitting certain weights on Olympic Lifts and mastering gymnastic movements, just to name a few.
To accomplish my goals, I’ve gone to the gym on a regular basis to do my programming, have put some time into working on mobility, and have tried to keep my nutrition in check (for the most part!).
A few weeks ago, I hit my 4 year CrossFit anniversary. I was sitting in the back of the box by a lifting platform in between lifts, suddenly my mind wandered and I started to do some self reflection on the past 4 years of learning how to lift weight and almost dying from WODs. I realized that a weight I was about to lift, a lift that I was 100% confident I could make, use to be on my goal sheet way back when to be able to hit as a 1 rep max. I realized that when I started CrossFit, my goal was to be able to do a single pull up without a band. Now I can not only do regular pull ups, but also chest-to-bar pull ups and bar muscle ups.
These past 4 years I’ve accomplished a lot of goals. But I’ve simply celebrated them in the moment, then instantly set a new goal 30 seconds later, and only ever focused on what was ahead. This is definitely not necessarily a bad thing, but will eventually kill you if you are only looking at where you want to be, and never how far you have already come.
Am I anywhere near where I want to be? Hell no, I think everyone knows that. But I’ve recently learned that if I want to stay passionate about this sport, I need to not only look ahead, but also take time to look back and realize that what I’m doing in CrossFit right now is everything I wanted to be able to do 4 years ago, and more. Looking back, I’ve worked pretty damn hard and it’s pretty cool to see that it has paid off. I will continue to work hard until I am satisfied (sooooo, never!).
If you take anything away from reading this, I hope that it’s to set goals, and stay hungry to achieve them – but never forget to take a step back every once in a while and give yourself some damn credit. You deserve it.
-Coach Mary