Introduction again

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Starting over, again, is no fun. It’s not sexy, it’s not easy, and we know it. But we find ourselves here just about every year at this time. The snow and cold is starting to break. The roads are wet but they’re not icy and full of snow. You can feel spring right around the corner. Some of us wait for 60 degrees to start running outside. Others were out there yesterday because 35 felt like 60 after the winter we had. Whenever you start exercising again, most of us are picking it up again after being away for quite a few months.

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TRX Training

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TRX Training

Hans TRX course

Sometimes you come across a product in your field and have that “ahh haa” moment. My formal education and training, along with my personal experience including time with clients has given me an eye of critical thinking and a gut instinct. When I first saw the TRX suspension trainer, I thought, “of course!”

Military Origin

What began in the military using parachute chord has evolved in to a great product. The concept is simple:

  • hang straps from a secure structure
  • use the straps to push, pull and twist your body
  • adjust the intensity with a few basic, common sense modifications

Now, I’ve simplified. Trust me, there’s an incredible amount of science behind this training. We’ll get into that later. Yesterday’s training (a) taught me some great principles, (b) increased my exercise library, and (c) invigorated my spirit for training on this device. And I’m happy to announce that I’ll be featuring suspension training on my blog because I believe in it’s ability to work for so many people.

One important take-away for the day was continuing education. Full disclosure, I hate that phrase. It sounds so dull to me. You too? I’m not sure where that comes from but if you’re like me, you need to fight it. Because when you think about it, continuing education is so important. Leaders and successful people continue their education. They try new things. They update their skill set on old things to push the bar forward. I’ve done TRX informally (without training) for over six years. This educational experience was so worth the time and money.

You don’t need to take a class. You don’t need to purchase a product. You need to write in your journal something you’re going to do to advance your skills. You need to look back on a day, a week, a season or a project and say “this is what I did.”

I’m so excited about TRX training. If you’ve ever thought about it or have any questions, please make drop me a line in the comments.

Three Words for 2014

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We need words to take us places. Sometimes to get the most done, to be the most productive, we need to go to a special place. I’ve spent the first couple weeks of the new year crafting goals and processing why I wrote them and how I’ll follow through. I’m no expert. I fail. I need to remember. And sometimes to remember requires me to go somewhere.

I’ve done 3 words for five years now. The idea (as far as I know) came from Chris Brogan who described it as follows: take three words that drive everything you do this year. It can be abstract. One year, I used the word “linebacker.” You have no idea what that means, but there’s a story behind it, and any time I needed a reminder that year I thought about “linebacker” and I was reorientated on what needed to get done. Plenty of abstract stuff there, right?

As I sit in my office and draft these goals for 2014, I’m in a new place. I’m in a good place. My job has taken great turns in the past four months. They took another upswing this week. I’m not sure how that relates to my desire to “go places” but I’m writing about my three words and I keep gravitating to three locations. My three words for 2014:

Newsroom1955 Newsroom

There is something very romantic about a newsroom. I’m thinking about the old ones with typewriters, writers smoking cigarettes, editors barking orders from their offices. Those rooms were so chaotic, but if you wanted to be in the know, that’s where you needed to be. Calls were being made. Interviews were happening. Stories were being written, edited, and published. Our digital world looks very different these days, but writing is still writing. Putting thoughts to words, words to paper, both literally and digitally. Many of my hours this year will be in a newsroom, writing and editing so that I publish great works.

Coffee Shop Danforth_Coffee_Shop

There’s a guy at the Monona Starbucks that knows everyone. His name is Frank. When I met him, he informed me that the coffee shop is his tavern. How cool is that? While it would be easy to think this word and this location for me is quite literal this year, and you would be selling me short. When I go to the coffee shop this year, it’s about being intentional with relationships. Let’s leave it at that. I’m very fond of coffee shops, and there will be plenty of literal interpretation of this location, but at the same time so many other places it could go.

Mission Bay mission bay

Last year I competed in my first triathlon. What an experience! And yes, I have the bug. I’ve become fascinated with multi-sport and as a fitness professional I am so excited about the energy around this sport. Mission Bay (San Diego) is credited with hosting the first American triathlon on September 25, 1974. I’m taking this word for 2014 a little more literally, but my goal certainly involves more than triathlons. I have personal, family and professional goals all wrapped up in this trip to Mission Bay, California.

There you have it. I hope my three words for 2014 have inspired you to think about your goals for the new year. I hope you can find creative ways to publish them and work towards them the entire year.