I was coming home from the hospital the other evening after spending time with my oldest, Rogue, following his chest surgery. Everything went well, and while it was chest surgery, thankfully it had nothing to do with the vital organs in his chest.
He had a sunken sternum that was putting pressure on his lungs and heart. The surgeons corrected it, pushing it back to normal levels and giving his heart and lungs more room to function. Bless them for their work.
Anyhow, after sitting at the hospital all day, I needed to get a workout in. I was between workout times at the gym and also rushed to get back to my youngest, Rory, who was at home with my mom. So, I decided to go for a run at the nearby state park.
Off I went and started running. For me, running is when I do some of my best thinking—it’s one of the things I actually enjoy about it. As I ran, I started thinking about the upcoming lacrosse season (I coach Rogue’s team) and what I’m hoping for this year. A lot of my thoughts centered on what kind of coach I want to be. What lessons can I teach the kids that go beyond sports and help them in life? And how do I deliver those lessons in a way that they MIGHT hear some small part of them?
If you ask Rogue, he’ll be the first to tell you I have a tendency to talk too much when it comes to life lessons. It’s become a running joke, and we get a good laugh about it. “There goes Reid again,” as everyone rolls their eyes. What can I say? I get excited about passing on important lessons.
But I digress. (Stick with me—there’s a good takeaway coming up, I promise. If not, well, sorry for wasting your time—you can get your entry fee back.)
I always encourage the boys to envision what they want out of their season. What does a “winning season” look like to them? So early on, we take some time to define success as a team.
Usually, the first answer someone shouts is, “Winning lots of games!”
“Great,” I say. “But how important is that? Do you want to win at the expense of having fun? Are we going to be a ‘win-at-all-costs’ kind of team?”
This makes them think a little deeper, and before long, someone will add, “Well, I want to have fun too!”
“Great” I say. “Fun is important. If we’re not having fun, we’re probably not going to keep playing. And if we’re not playing, we’re not winning. Rarely are people great at something they don’t enjoy doing. But we can’t only focus on fun, because then it’s hard to improve.”
Next, I ask them this: “When do you feel most proud of yourselves? Is it after you do something really easy that didn’t take much effort, or is it after you accomplish something challenging?”
Of course, this question usually gets a few silly answers—they’re 13- and 14-year-old boys, after all—but the general consensus is that pride comes from working hard and overcoming challenges.
“Exactly,” I tell them. “Effort matters. So does progress.”
Together, we define what a successful season looks like for us. We decide that if at every practice and every game we consistently do these four things, it’s a winning season:
- Show up.
- Give the best effort we can that day.
- Get better at something.
- Have some fun while doing it.
That’s our recipe for success. It’s not perfect or exhaustive, but it’s a great starting point. Funny enough, when we stick to these four things, the wins tend to come naturally. But the wins are just a byproduct. When you approach your season this way, the outcomes—wins or losses—aren’t as important.
The same applies to life. If you stick to these four principles, you’ll find success over the long run, no matter what you’re doing.
They’re especially relevant in health and fitness. Time and time again, the people who succeed—whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, or reaching big goals—are the ones who consistently show up, give their best effort, improve little by little, and find a way to enjoy the process.
And as they practice these principles in their fitness, something amazing happens: it starts to spill over into other parts of their lives.
So, if you’re feeling stuck or need help jump-starting your fitness journey, reach out to us. We’ve been helping people navigate this process for over a decade here in Canby, and we’re ready to help you too.
Whether it’s personal training, group CrossFit classes, or nutrition coaching, we’ve got you covered. We pride ourselves on being the best gym in the area—and we’d love to help you take the first step toward your goals.
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