Overcoming Common Doubts When Starting CrossFit

When people are starting CrossFit they often have questions such as:

"Will this work for me?"
"Will I look stupid doing this, and will people judge me?"
"Will I be able to fit this into my schedule?"
"Will I get hurt?"

And many other similar questions that are common among beginners.

But these aren't CrossFit questions. These are questions for anyone starting something new.

For instance, I recently had some of the same doubts when starting guitar lessons.

Will this work for me? Will I look stupid? Will people judge me? Do I have the time to commit to this endeavor?

These are normal questions anyone would have when they embark on a new journey.

Of course, guitar lessons will work for you or me, and of course CrossFit will too. It's not if the program will work, rather will we work the program?

The self doubt of us staying accountable to the plan and lessons get construed with "will this program work?"

We've all proclaimed to ourselves, our family, social media "hey I'm starting this thing" only to give up weeks or months later. This has happened to all of us many times in our lives. Pretty soon we start losing trust in ourselves that we will follow through on our promises.

So how can we ensure the plan we are starting becomes a success and not another false start along the way?

Here some keys to success, that provide a road map to a successful CrossFit program.

1. Have a big reason WHY.

Our reason why is our number one motivator when starting anything new. Remember falling in love for the first time? You would do anything to see your significant other or make them happy. Love is a big motivator! It's a big reason for most of us, that's why we would move mountains for love.

So why not love yourself? When it comes to your health, your wellness and quality of life, don't you want the best for yourself? If this feels too selfish, don't you want to be the best for the people around you?

One of my biggest motivators is to not be a burden to those I love. When I grow old and age, I don't want to be dependent on others. I don't want them to feel like they're obligated to take care of me when I had the opportunity to invest in my health and take care of myself. I don't want them to have to decide whether to spend valuable time and energy on themselves or paying for my assisted living.

These are some big motivators!

You have to find your reason, your why, and keep that front and center. Place constant reminders in places you will see to keep your why in front of you.

For instance, I have a note to myself in my bathroom drawer that I see every day:

"Soon you will be 75, remember life goes fast. The decisions you make today will have compounded over a lifetime. Your life will either be full of blessings from seeds you planted long ago, or toiled with burden from poor decisions along the way. You have the choice and the power today."

2. Have a coach or mentor that can give you perspective along the way.

We've all had people in our life that have had a significant impact on us. Maybe it's been someone really close to you like a parent, grand parent or a sibling. Maybe it was a teacher or someone who came into your life for a season. Maybe it was someone you never met but idolized them through a book or a story.

You saw in that person something that you wanted for yourself. And likely they saw the same for you.

This mentor had experience and perspective you did not have at the time. Imagine being dropped in a huge forest, in the middle of nowhere, one you've never been in. Which direction do you go, how do you get out, how do you survive?

Now imagine someone who has lived in this forest their whole life and knows every leaf and tree stumbles upon you. They have perspective and experience you could never have. And they could guide you to the answers you are looking for.

This forest could be a metaphor for life. Maybe it was a time in life you were struggling and grappling with a problem. And someone came along and said, "no worries, I have been here before, and I can show you the way."

We all need mentors and guidance in our life from time to time. Some you seek out with intention and others stumble into your life by happenstance.

3. Keep showing up.

The secret to success in CrossFit (and most programs in life) is for you to keep showing up. There will be days when your WHY doesn't get you off the couch, or you just had an indescribable bad day. We all have those. But the key is to show up anyways.

No one expects you to bring your 100% every day, but habit begets habit and some times the victory is showing up. If you model some of the most successful people in life at their craft, the first thing you will notice is they did it day in and day out for years and years.

CrossFit is so much more than showing up to the gym. It can be done at home in the kitchen. It could be listening to a podcast or reading a book. It's not just a workout methodology, it's a life style. A commitment to showing up day in and day out. Not only for yourself, for your future self, and for the people in your life that depend on you.

We all have questions, doubts and fears when starting something new like CrossFit.

Will this work? Can I do it? What will people think?

Remember these three keys when starting out: find your why, find a mentor and stay committed to the process.

Want to talk about how CrossFit could work for you? Schedule a one on one sit down with a heath coach to explore the options and help answer some of these common questions.