Wednesday 12/5/18

WOD

3 Rounds for time:
21 Wall Balls 30/20,
15 Handstand Push-ups,
9 Power Cleans 135/95.
13 Minute Cap.

Tuesday Night Musings by Coach Stef.

The fear of failing.

We all have been there when the coach is demonstrating a skill or progression of a movement and then turns to the class and says: “Hop up and give it a try.” What do we do???  We all freeze. Why is thatI believe it is because of the fear of failing, especially in front of our peers. 

We all have our daydreaming moments of trying something new. It is done flawlessly and looks without effort. Is that realistic though? NO! In an age where everyone posts on social media all of their successes, and what seems like daily PR’s, rarely do we see the missteps of their training – the failures. I believe we have all been paralyzed by an expectation of perfection. This leaves us unwilling to take the risks; which means we never fail. If I never fail then it looks like I’m always successful, right? Not so fast, my friend.

Let me start with an example that just happened last week – the heavy squat snatch and ring dip workout. Did you pick a weight that was comfortable and you knew you could hit every rep without failure? Or, did you go with something that made you a little uncomfortable? Now I’m not saying to just throw common sense and safety out the window. If you are newer to Helo, take the proper steps to make sure you are ingraining good technique. Learning it right the first time will pay off ten-fold in the long run. If you have been with us for a while, get out of your comfort zone. That’s where all the magic happens! Are you going to fail sometimes? Yes, but it’s where growth happens. You will never add skills to your arsenal or weight to your lifts if you don’t reach beyond your comfort zone. 

Another example happened last week – the snatch balance day. I was building up to a really good weight and all of the sudden… I let fear creep in. I picked the weight up off the rack and the thought popped into my head: “OH CRAP! This is a weight you typically pull off the floor, let alone put overhead!” What did I do? FAILED. I was focused on the fear of failing when I needed to focus on the exact steps necessary to perform the lift. I made a slight adjustment, tried again, and completed the rep. It doesn’t always happen that way, but getting over the “what if I fail” allowed me to at least try again… and I nailed a new PR. 

I have left the box crying who knows how many times because I had misplaced expectations that I should’ve been able to do more or be better at a skill. I had a fear of letting others down or looking stupid for not being able to do something. Now, I no longer strive for perfection. IT IS UNATTAINABLE! If I fall on my butt because I missed a lift, whatevs because at least I was trying. If someone laps me two times in the WOD, whatevs. If I am the last to finish (I know this is a fear for some… it used to be one of mine), that’s ok because I know I picked an option to challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone. It doesn’t always make for the best score on the whiteboard, but that’s not what this is about. Do the best you can and set your expectations to match. 

I will leave you with this — It’s been said that the only time you fail is when you don’t get back up and try again. Therefore, if you just keep trying, YOU WILL NEVER TRULY FAIL. Next time you have the opportunity to try something new (possibly while peers are watching), do it! Next time you have a chance to really get out of your comfort zone, do it! My bet is that you’ll see its really not that scary and you’ll be glad you tried. Who knows, maybe you will inspire someone else to try. Thanks for reading! 

Sincerely, 

Coach Stef

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