Last weekend, I watched a few of the events of the most recent CrossFit Games on television and noticed that one particular athlete looked and behaved the same at the start of every event. He was stern, serious, even looked a bit angry. Most of all, I think, he was focused. He wasn’t concerned about how he looked for the cameras or what impression he was making on his audience -- he was there to complete a task, and he put 100% of his energy towards that task. The athlete was Mat Fraser, who just so happened to take first place and continue as the unquestionably dominant athlete for the third year straight.

We frequently make the mistake of compartmentalizing where there is no good reason to do so. Your behaviors tend to operate rather similarly regardless of the subject (work, school, exercise, competition, parenting, whatever).

Consider, for example, what you would suggest to your high school age child as she studied for her final exams. You would likely advise her to eliminate distractions by turning of the cell phone and the TV, to set aside a specific time for dedicated and focused work, to have a plan rather than trying to wing it, and to create space for mental breaks. Your suggestions would be rather similar for yourself or someone else preparing for an important meeting to a board of directors. Why then, should we expect things to be any different in training?

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting that your training should be quiet, still, or arduous. I am, however, insisting that it’s foolish to expect your training to go any different than a wasteful study session if your efforts are unfocused, you’re distracted by your cell phone, your mind is elsewhere, or you’re haphazardly rushing in without any plan or preparation.

We are here to enjoy the process, but we’re not fulfilling our mission if we don’t commit ourselves to focused and productive efforts towards becoming a higher-performing, more functional, healthier human. Treat your training like anything else that’s important in your life. After all, why should it be any different?

- PS

8/10/18

• 20 min AMRAP

• 400m run in under (1:25/1:35)

• *if you do not complete the run in under the designated time, it does not count

• *rest as needed between attempts