Why I quit CrossFit
A lesson in self-awareness
I was 19 years old and treading water. A year out of high school, working for my Father’s construction company and attending college for general education. I had no clue why I was in college. I just started showing up because my peers were showing up. At the same time, I was being groomed into taking over my Dad’s company and setting down roots in my hometown. Most of my friends had found local work and our free time was spent partying and socializing.
Autopilot set to content
Life was happening and I was just along for the ride. I wasn’t fighting, wasn’t thinking, wasn’t engaging in who I wanted to be and what I wanted for myself. I wasn’t self-aware. I was busy in autopilot mode. I was letting everyone around me tell me who I was and what I was going to be. I had no real-world experience outside my small hometown and business. It wasn’t until I found a way out or really a way in, that my world expanded. It all happened by accident.
The enlightenment
I was studying cultural anthropology. California Indians to be exact. I went for a hike in what is known as Massacre Canyon. A local historical site where two Native American tribes had a battle for territory. One of the tribes was backed into a corner and consequently slaughtered. The sheer walls on all sides and desolate mountain ranges always gave me an eerie feeling. I was there all alone and found myself pondering my own life and feeling a little “backed into a corner.” It dawned on me that I wanted something more from life. I knew I had a greater potential. I set my mind to figuring out what that was.
There forward, I spent many of my weekends avoiding my usual social opportunities in trade for new ones. I was spending them alone in the woods reading and writing. Trying to understand what I was looking for and who I was. It was a great time in my life and I learned more about myself in those few months than I had in my previous 19 years. So, what was I doing?
What was different?
I was practicing self-awareness. I was reflecting on my past, engaging my present and planning my future. I was enjoying digging into my mind and pushing my limits on who I was and what I was capable of. I was making time for myself and taking myself out of my “busy life.” I was communicating with my Innate intelligence. I was better connected to the Universal Intelligence that communicates through us all. To have self-awareness is to have a relationship with one’s self. You must first love yourself so that you can have love and relationships with others.
"You'll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine." -John C. Maxwell
Why I quit CrossFit!
So, what does this have to do with CrossFit? Well almost 20 years later, I was living a good life and practicing most of my Innate Essentials. I had finished my Doctorate in Chiropractic and graduated at the top of my class. I was eating healthy, working out at CrossFit, spending time with my family and working like a boss. Things were going well for the most part.
It was by chance I stumbled upon a website one day. A financial website that focused on the value and investment of happiness in your life. Mr. Money Mustache was his name, financial literacy was his game and for the most part, he had it all right. His ideas on financial independence, retiring early, badassity, living life for happiness, not materials, questioning the current status quo in the world were all right with me. He conveyed consumerism was up and self-awareness was down. It was at this moment that I realized I had been lead right into the proverbial Rat Race. And there it was again, that feeling like I was “backed into a corner.”
I fought with this for a few months, I was living the good life after all. It took me months, but eventually, I begrudgingly joined the pursuit. The pursuit of happiness, health, freedom, creativity, time, everything, anything and nothing really. My first step to getting out was to get in. Back, in my head and practicing self-awareness again. The only problem was I had filled all my time with 20 years of living. A statement I hear all too often “I’m too busy” was occurring more frequently in my life. I needed a change. Read the blog on reducing distractions Turn off, Tune in and Drop Apps.
"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." - Socrates
Something had to give
At the time my schedule looked something like this.
4:30 am up for CrossFit by 5
6:30 am home showering and helping my family get ready for school and the day.
8:00 am off to work
6:30 pm home for dinner and getting the kids ready for bed.
8:00 pm hang with the wife and wind down.
9:00 pm to bed so that I could get ready to do it again.
I know, it’s nothing to complain about. I had nothing but gratitude up to this point but realized I wanted more and I had to change something.
My new RX WOD
I had no room for change. I had no room for more. I was overwhelmed and looking for answers. I wanted to live for happiness. I wanted the same thing as Mr. Stache himself, but with more purpose, more health and longevity in mind. I wanted to invest in my future wealth and more importantly my future health. Not just my body, but my mind too. I wanted to give my mind access to this skill as I knew it was one of the Innate Essentials and I had been neglecting it. I needed to pull out of autopilot and Write my Reality. So, I gave up something I enjoyed immensely for something more important.
Changing my work schedule wasn’t going to happen and taking any time away from my family wasn’t going to happen. My family and my work bring me great joy, so CrossFit was the weak link and it got the boot. It had served me well for years, but it was time to go. I closed that door and plugged in some old workout routines that could be done easily on autopilot. “Two birds one stone.”
One Adjustment at a time
There I was in my workout attire, headphones in, my mind on my self and my body going through the motions. I began listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos, reading and listening to books and most importantly writing down my thoughts. Most of this was done during my new workout plans that kept me fit but allowed me to think on my new autopilot. It’s what brought to life One Adjustment and the Innate Essentials. I laid out my plan of all the essentials I needed to keep my body, mind and spirit holistic and aging gracefully. My essential list is made up of things we must have and/or must consistently maintain in order to live a long happy life. It was surprisingly easy. My family and I were already following most of the essentials and I began adding in One Adjustment at a time. Most of these ideas I had been instructing patients to do for years. Take better care of themselves, invest in prevention and always listen to your body whisper before it screams.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." -Ben Franklin
What is self-awareness?
Self-awareness is about accessing your innate intelligence. Listening to your body, mind and spirit for guidance. Self-awareness can be internal or external. Looking at your internal feelings, motivations and function. Looking at yourself socially and evaluating yourself in your environment. How do you fit? Are you the person to others that you imagine yourself to be? How are you affecting others with your choices and actions? Owning responsibility for who you are and what you want is essential. Having a growth mindset to reach your ultimate future self even if it means sacrificing something you like in the process. Yes CrossFit, I’m talking about you. Hopefully, I can fit you into my future schedule. Until then…
How to begin the practice of
self-awareness
1. Set yourself up. Carve out some time alone. Headphones in at the gym or running worked for me. There isn’t a wrong way to do it as long as you can dig deep. Hiking, meditation, workout, walking, horseback riding, etc. Ditch the unproductive habits and face reality. Can’t find the time? Read this article about Reality and Responsibility.
2. Listen to your body and mind. If you’re stuck, which often happens due to present stress at hand, start asking questions. Are you happy? Anything you would change? What would you change about your feelings, body, mind, family, significant other, career, education, finances? Think of situations you’ve recently dealt with. How were you involved? How did you act? Would you change anything now?
This isn’t something you can do? That’s bullshit. Many others before you have set their mind to change and made a difference. Try and be terrible at it, but just do it.
3. Make it a practice. It gets easier the more you’re in tune. Consistency in life is key. No different here. Carve out that time somewhere in your day where you can create a habit, a routine and set it to autopilot. Many times I have left this practice, but I always come back to it. It’s as integral to my life as exercise and socializing.
4. Commit to a small change. Rip off the band-aid. One adjustment at a time. All in time. Please know that this doesn’t have to be intense. It can be comical at times. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself sometimes. Just do something. Remember in an earlier blog post when we discussed opportunity costs?
5. Ask a Friend. Friends can be brutally honest. If you are stuck or even just unsure about who you are and how others see you, ask a trusted friend. Make sure it is a trusted space where you can handle the truth.
One Adjustment action step
1. Commit to practicing this skill. Self-Awareness (Innate Essential)
2. Make time in your day for consistency. I like to do it during my exercise and then I will journal directly after.
3. Read, write and stimulate your self-awareness.
Happy Friday
-Nick the DC
It is a practice so it can’t be perfected. What is it that you do to engage in self-awareness?
Link to our next blog post: Innate Essential #7 – Sleep
Disclaimer: The One Adjustment website and blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any type. One Adjustment uses affiliate links as a means to support the content provided at no extra cost to you. Please see disclaimer link for more details.
