What is Your Motivation and DAY 3

DAY 3 of the 12 Day Reboot
No alcohol, no sugar, lights out by 9:30pm, mindless burpees. See below for more info.

REMINDER! Women’s Only FREE Class and Intro Session this Tuesday at 10:30 am! Sign-up here.

3 rounds:
run 1mile
50 pull-ups

December 2015

We know what you’re thinking; Aren’t all burpees mindless?  Not at all.  For Day 3 of the 12 Day Reboot we are throwing out a challenge to keep your mind focused and keep you mindful throughout the day.  What does that mean for you?
Day 3 (to be completed January 4th)
Every time you mindlessly check your email, texts, Facebook, Instagram, or find yourself scrolling through your phone for no purpose (avoiding boredom is not a purpose) – do 10 burpees. Notify your household that you’re doing this and allow them the ability to call you out if they catch you.

What is your motivation?
With the new year there often comes talk of goals for the upcoming year.  Goals give you direction but there is a more foundational layer for your actions from day to day, and surprisingly we rarely, if ever, contemplate it.  It’s called motivation and it’s the driving force behind every action we perform in life.  Who we are constantly choosing to be, the job that we’re working, the person we’re in love with, what we ate for breakfast.  Every decision we make throughout the day is driven by some motivation that is within us.  Few stop to ask themselves what that motivation is or where it comes from.  Now, I’m not asking you to contemplate your motivation for the life you live, that’s some really deep material for a Monday (but you might consider it at some point :)), but I am asking you, what is your motivation for continuing to come in and do CrossFit?

When you first started you had some idea of why you should start doing CrossFit.  To lose weight, to get in shape, because friends were doing it, whatever the reason, it worked.  Have you considered what that motivation is today?  Is it the same?  Has it changed?  Is it realistic?  Is it being satisfied?

I’ve been a CrossFitter for nearly 10 years now and I can tell you that my motivation has certainly changed over time.  It began as a way to lose weight and get fit, then it was to get better scores, faster times.  To look better naked.  To go to the Games!  A heavier 1RM snatch, faster Fran, handstand walking, etc.  And as of more recently it has become to recover my abilities to do functional movements in all capacities, to be fit enough to hike without stopping every 20 minutes, to run (but only if I must!), to regain strong muscle movement patterns that will ultimately lead to a fun, active, and enjoyable lifestyle as I age, and to pursue gymnastics (just because I think it’s fun).

Understanding our motivation for doing something, something that has become part of our daily routine, allows us to make better decisions about the actions we take and avoid going down the wrong path entirely.  Some motivations are so old that we’ve literally forgotten them and simply react unconsciously so that they’re being served.  Should I go Rx or not?  Should I stick around after and do my GHD work?  Should I come 5 days straight?  Should I double-up today?  Should I go for it, should I hold back, etc.

What is your motivation?  Do your daily decisions reflect this? Post to comments. 


21 Responses
  1. CAL

    I am motivated by: 1. Seeing how Kit ROCKS being 70 yrs young! 2. Already “hearing” my nieces/nephews call out as we mount the steps of the Duomo in Florence or hiking on our Camino pilgrimage in Spain or bike in New Zealand on their HS and College graduation trip adventures: “Hey, Zia C…slow down so we can catch our breath, would ya please?!” 3. The pure enJOYment of hanging out with my Roots family of choice <3

  2. PMart

    Love this challenge. Fits perfectly with our family’s new year’s rules of no phone or tech in the living room or dining room. We’ve deleted the facebook and instagram apps from our phones too. Everyone’s amazingly on board!

  3. Stephen Venable

    I’m motivated by:
    -The community.
    Especially everyone at Roots!
    Traveling frequently for work, I love showing up to the box and being greeted by people who love Crossfit and enjoy building up one another.
    -The challenge.
    I tell everyone, my favorite part of Crossfit is being able to do something I couldn’t the day before. What’s better than pushing yourself to reach a goal and achieving it?
    -The competition.
    Crossfit made me competitive again. I’m happy to be chasing my friends/family in WOD times and lifts; it drives me to be better!

  4. Annette Brownlee Elton

    Originally, when I started CrossFit almost 4 years ago (I think), it was because I wanted to age well. I was watching my 61 year old mom deteriorate from dementia and I didn’t want that to be me. I want to stand tall and still be learning when I’m 90. That’s still a huge motivator for me.
    However, day-to-day my motivators have changed. I thrive on learning – I feel privileged to be surrounded by such amazing coaches, friends, and athletes and I learn something, often about myself, every single time I walk through those doors. Each WOD is an adventure and I’m grateful for it. That keeps me coming back.
    And let’s face it, vanity plays a very real role in my motivation as well. I’m 45 1/2 and I don’t mind strutting around the house naked :D. I get a kick out of how strong I feel and the way I look.

  5. Andi

    What a great blog Shane! I am motivated to recover from the injuries I sustained while in the military. It’s exciting when I see myself getting stronger. I may be last a lot but I’ll never quit. It’s been great getting to know the Roots community as I make Boulder my home. Thanks Roots!

  6. Stacey

    This is probably the only time you’ll hear me say “Yay, burpees!” It’s my deep, deep hatred of burpees that has made me pause every time I went to check my phone today. It’s all about being present and mindful as I move through the day.

  7. All the usual suspects motivated me through the door the first time — desire to get in shape, etc. Then it was the palette of skills I was exposed to — skills I lacked — that made me want to keep coming. Lately I’d say it’s all the great athletes I get to play with every morning that motivate me. It’s far from getting old, that’s for sure.
    Funny story re: today’s challenge. I went into the men’s bathroom at work this afternoon, and there was a dude standing at the urinal reading his phone. Now, I’ve seen that before, but today, my first thought was “ten burpees! ten burpees!!” Luckily I realized he’s not a Roots athlete before I actually said that shit out loud. =)

  8. Diane

    Challenge complete! It was so nice to be back at Roots over the holiday break! It’s made me realize that being away and having to motivate myself to go to LA Fitness to stay fit has taught me a lot about intrinsic motivation. I’ve started to realize that I’m not just doing burpees because that’s what Nicole says, but because I like being fit and I do reap the benefits when I challenge myself. Be back soon!!

  9. laura munro

    I entered my Roots foundation class on a dare by my husband and much to his chagrin I won the bet- stayed with it- and embraced it whole heartedly. Crossfit for me was a new athletic adventure, a new goal and a way to learn something new. Now though, as much as I still like the competition involved in my daily WODs I am motivated to get up at 5:00am five days a week to be with my friends. It’s nearly impossible for me to imagine starting my day without my dose of my 5:30 peeps- and the coaches who tolerate us and support us now matter how crazy we are.

  10. Katie W

    Still in. Even cut out on Downtown abbey to make curfew 😉 Thanks for the awesome and inspiring post, Shane!

  11. Josh Nothwang

    I love how many times I checked myself and didn’t “go mindless” throughout the day. Particularly the workday – not exactly the most productive activity. 0 burpees. I’m motivated to get stronger and faster. Killer first got me to join, and while I’ve had a few lapses, I’m now back (yesterday was my first WOD in five months) and will be back for the long haul…

  12. Jeremy

    My primary motivations are a) I am trying to restore movement and confidence after a year of random injuries, some of which were not related to CF, b) I love developing new skills, and there’s *always* something that I can learn about (e.g. mastering bar muscle ups, butterfly pullups, free-standing handstand holds). I am also motivated to be around people who strive for excellence in what they do, and I see that every time I go to roots or when I’m at a different gym while I’m traveling, so it’s easy to be inspired by the people who give everything they have.

  13. Brittney Wilburn

    I’m a year in. Finished having babies and wanted more strength to fuel me through my runs, rides, and on the slopes. I love the challenge of pushing myself, the discomfort of trying something new, the camaraderie, my 5:30am pals.

  14. Kelly Shekiro

    Was too busy at work for the mindless tech checks, but hopefully fear of burpees will make me think twice for the rest of the challenge

  15. Jessica Helson

    Read this article a while back and it really (embarrassingly) resonated: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/opinion/sunday/addicted-to-distraction.html?_r=0 As I am sure all of us are feeling, not only was the timing of this challenge perfect, but the daily added buy-ins have been right on point. I started mindlessly surfing on my phone (to the extent I am guilty of now, which is way more than it had been prior) while I was breastfeeding Jack. He was (and still is, in case you’re wondering) a shitty sleeper and we had big nursing challenges. So for the first 10 months, I was LITERALLY up on and off all night long, nursing, pumping, or tending to him in some other way. Lots of time in the dark. So I started to surf to pass the time more than I’d like to admit – news, social media, writing long-overdue emails. I know, I should have been bonding with my baby. I suggest he could actually see my face in the glow of my phone screen, which would not have been the case otherwise! Anyway, since those days are (sorta) behind us now that he is 2, I really haven’t dropped the habit of mindlessly checking texts, email, Facebook, and Instagram. I am vowing in the new year to be more present and kick this habit. So, thanks for the motivation. I feel like I am in group therapy. Hi, my name is Jessica, and I check my phone a lot.