Two weeks ago in Chicago, I had the pleasure to hear a lecture given by powerlifting legend Dave Tate. The things that I took away from his talk are numerous, but something that continues to run loops in my head is what he closed his talk with; namely the idea that its simple to get what you want out of your life, but its not easy. Here’s a clip from the movie “Bleed For This” that he shared with us:
Let me break it down for you:
If you want to lose fat and get lean, it’s simple – you need to eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. But its not easy. (If you want even more help, book some time with our nutritionist Natalie by clicking here.)
If you want to get better at double unders, it’s simple – you need to actually practice them, frequently and consistently. Yes, I realize the impending whip marks don’t make this easy.
If you want to improve your olympic lifts, it’s simple – you need to be sure you show up on the days that we have them in the programming. If you want to get even more help, make sure you’re a part of the next 6-week specialty class we have.
If you hate where you live and want to move to a new city, it’s simple – stop planning, find a new job where you want to move, quit your current one, and move. I know – not easy.
If you want to get stronger, its simple – you have to LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS. But its not easy.
If you want to stave off the nursing home, it’s simple – you need to maintain your ability to go from a sitting to standing position (a.k.a. squat) and maneuver your own bodyweight. I know its not easy to hear this, but “age” is not a diagnosis. (Maybe laziness should be?)
If you want to be a good parent, it’s simple – you need to be a present parent for your children and shower them with unconditional love…all the time. Trust me, I know how tough this is, especially after they’ve taken off their diaper in the middle of the night!
If you want a happy marriage, it’s simple – you need to enjoy and seek out ways to make your spouse happy – aka be self-less, not selfish. Think this one is easy? When is the last time you had the “where do you want to go for dinner” conversation? Exactly.
If you want to open a small business of your own (like a CrossFit gym), make it successful, long lasting, and profitable so that you can live a happy life and provide the same for your staff – it’s simple, come and talk to me. I’ll tell you all about the ups and downs, the (many) mistakes I’ve made so that you don’t have to suffer through them, and how to keep people happy, getting results, and coming back day after day. But you know what I won’t tell you – how easy it is…cause it’s not.
If you just want to make it to the gym three days per week, it’s simple – drive to the gym three days a week, get out of your car, and walk in the door. For many, this is the toughest part.
If you want to get drafted and play Major League Baseball, it’s simple – you need to play a LOT of baseball, play it well, and also do all the little things well, especially when nobody else is around telling you what to do. Even for adults, this is tough. For teenagers and college kids? Next to impossible.
If you want to be happy and lead a fulfilling life, it’s simple – wake up and choose to be happy, smile often, and offer to help others. Again, not easy, I know.
All of the things I listed above are simple, but not easy.
You see, the “simple” part of the statement refers to the oft-romanticized stage of development – where ideas are bred, dreams are professed, visions are shared, plans laid out. These can all be said to be a part of the actual ‘process.’ People like to hang out in this stage, where it’s cozy and comfy.
The other part of the statement, “easy,” refers to the actual doing of the things. Everybody, at one point or another, has had an idea for how they could get rich and change the world. To be honest I’ve heard some really really good ideas. How many take action?
With that in mind, I’d like to spur you to some action, so I’m going to lay out three simple challenges:
- If you are a current member and something in this post resonated with you, I encourage you to book a goal setting session right now by clicking this link.
- If you are not a current member but something in this post still resonated with you and you would like us to get in touch with you, we also want you to book a goal setting session by clicking the link here
- The last is for both groups and is admittedly self-serving. What I’d like you all to do is simple: share this post on social media. That little share button is just waiting to be pushed…so just go ahead and PUSH IT! Come on, it’s simple. Just not easy.
I listed 15 examples of things above that are simple to do, just not easy.
What is something in your life that you would like to share with us that you are struggling with?
