“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.”
– Shunryu Suzuki
Everyone loves a new cookbook. We love the opportunity to try new recipes that our friends and family will enjoy, and we love creating new things. Alright, maybe some people don’t love to cook as much as I do so let’s try this on: Everyone loves to travel. We get to see new cities, new beaches, experience a different culture. No? Some still not on board here? Maybe not everyone loves to fly or not everyone loves the whole rigamarole of getting the whole family to that new place that is supposed to be so great.
But here’s where we can agree – everyone loves a new CrossFit member. We love seeing new people come to the gym because we get to relive the experience of trying new things, getting almost instantly better at them and getting almost instant results from this new habit of fitness. We love encouraging them to keep going on that hard workout that we know next week won’t be as painful. And we love seeing their huge smiles when they feel successful for the first time in a while.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could adopt that same mentality of a beginner?
Experienced CrossFitters get into a groove of going to the same class 5 times a week, doing the same movements – “I guess I’ll scale to ring rows again because I can’t get a pull-up yet” – and eventually get stuck in a plateau. It’s frustrating when the trendline on the deadlift graph isn’t skyrocketing up anymore.
So let’s adopt a Beginner’s Mind. Let’s open our eyes to the possibility that we don’t know everything – and really we hardly know anything – and approach our next training session with a fresh perspective, like a newbie fresh out of On-Ramp. Maybe there is a different way to scale pull-ups that will advance our skillset a bit more. Maybe there is a cue to listen for on our deadlift setup that will create more efficiency… and power!
Let’s walk into the gym with open eyes and an expectation to learn something new. And then let’s go home and try that new recipe you’ve been eyeing up – your family will love it! Or at least they’ll appreciate the change-up from grilled chicken and broccoli.
Chef Ryan