The CrossFit Games Open is now over, and what a blast it was! It was fun, it was tough, and it was a great first competition experience for a bunch of our students.

But what if you tried your best at the Open, and didn’t do as well as you’d hoped, or felt way out of your league?

Or what if you weren’t one of those who signed up, and you feel like you’re just not cut out for these crazy competitions?

Or even further–what if the thought of competing hasn’t even entered your mind because you’re struggling just to keep showing up at the box consistently for your workouts?

If you’re feeling discouraged, impatient, or frustrated at any level–you just might benefit from learning how to “turn pro” as a CrossFitter. And don’t worry–I don’t mean you should quit your day job, unless you were already planning to. What I’m talking about is a shift that happens inside you.

Here are 3 steps to get you to turn pro:

Step 1: Recognize Resistance

I recently read The War of Art by writer Steven Pressfield, and he says that “resistance” is our greatest enemy when it comes to pursuing any worthwhile endeavor, be it getting fit, writing a novel, or doing anything requiring commitment and perseverance.

In fact, in his own words, a good rule of thumb is:

“The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.” Tweet this

All the things I listed above that can keep you from showing up consistently for your workout regimen are simply different forms of resistance. They can range from self-doubt, failure, and criticism to procrastination, rationalizing, and lack of preparedness.

Thankfully, Pressfield offers that “turning pro” is the best weapon against all forms of resistance. And that leads me to Step 2…

Step 2: Act Like A Pro

Here are just a few of Pressfield’s tips on how to act like a professional–applied to CrossFit:

1. Be patient. As exciting as CrossFit can be in the beginning, it takes a long time to really master all the techniques and skills–and your body also needs time to adapt. You’re probably wanting to be fit for life, right? So rather than going all out and then getting discouraged or burnt out, commit to being in it for the long haul.
2. Seek order. The pros of any sport are extremely consistent. You’re not doing yourself any favors by overdoing it with 5 WODs in 1 week, only to get sick or crash and burn for the next week and a half. Carve out your workout schedule, put it in your calendar–and value consistency over intensity if that’s what it takes.
3. Act in the face of fear. There’s a famous CrossFit quote: “I fear no one, but I fear my workout. If I don’t fear my workout it isn’t hard enough.” The message is simple here: It’s okay to be nervous about a workout, or even afraid of failure–but don’t let that stop you from doing it! You’ll be glad you stuck it out in the end, I promise.
4. Accept no excuses; play it as it lays. Some days you will feel unmotivated, doubtful, even tired. Other days you may have friends, family, or co-workers vying for your time. Recognize that these forms of resistance will happen–and honor your efforts thus far by keeping your momentum going as much as you can. Learn to make the distinction between truly needing rest and simply being lethargic.
5. Distance yourself from your talents and your work. Whether you’re a natural-born runner or struggle with a light jog, doesn’t need to impact your sense of self-worth. A true professional simply sees her instrument–in the case of CrossFit, her body–objectively, knowing it’s just what she has to work with. What she CAN control is her consciousness and will, and how she applies those toward the task at hand. What she CAN do is give it her all, whatever that means on each particular day.
6. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. If you need extra help with technique, mobilization, nutrition, anything–we coaches are always ready and willing to help. And don’t forget to look around within your community for support. Real professionals don’t ever believe they’ve got it all figured out; they’re always willing to deepen their learning.

Which brings me to Step 3:

Step 3: Learn from Other Pros

There are examples of people who’ve succeeded before you all around to learn from. While no one is in your exact situation right now, there’s wisdom that bears listening to.

Take Chris Spealler for example–a top CrossFit Games competitor 6 years in a row,  holding his own despite his “underdog” status as a 5’5″ man among giants. Jeff and I had the opportunity to meet and learn from this inspiring man at a Level 2 Coach’s Prep course.

Spealler wrote an awesome blog post last week, right before the last CrossFit Games Open workout (13.5) was announced, giving advice on how to “keep your head in it” for the last leg of the Open.

Interestingly, his advice echoes some of the same things Pressfield had to say. He said it so well that I’ll leave it in his words:

“The past doesn’t define you TODAY:  This is a new workout that sits before you and NONE of your past performances dictate what you can do on this workout and what you WILL do if you set out to do it.

Set small goals, and I mean small:  When it gets tough, like it does for all of us, set micro goals.  Ben had me working on this the week I visited him and it’s tremendously helpful.  It may be just getting your hands on a bar again, keeping your hands off your knees, turning to face the next exercise.  You have to do all of these things before the next rep and you are one step closer to it when you do it.

 EVERYONE is nervous:  We all think that we are the only ones that get the jitters and that everyone else is super confident and comfortable with the workout. No one is, some just manage it better than others, and hopefully all of these things help you out with that.

 Your performance has NO impact on your identity:  If CrossFit is the ONLY thing you have you may think otherwise, but it’s still not WHO you are.  It’s what you do.  I think the only failure is not attempting to get after it at all.

 Before you start the workout remind yourself WHY you are thankful that you can do this:  It may be personal growth, realizing that you have abilities that some may never have, being grateful for a community that you are part of, etc.  Either way, take a look at the bigger pic and make sure you have a reality check before the 3,2,1 go.

 Give yourself a grounding point:  When things get nasty, along with those micro goals get back to a phrase or word that grounds you in confidence.  I often find myself saying “Calm and Strong”, or “We’ve got this”.  I’m not alone in it and I won’t phrase things like that (make sense?).

 Walk away having left it all out there:  No matter what, I really believe that no one will judge you based on your performance.  We all may want to see someone or another do well.  But the reality is that we are all so incredibly motivated by ANYONE that pours their heart out and lays it all on the line.  Regardless of the outcome walk away knowing it was all you had.”

And there you have it, folks. When you get your head and heart in the game, and act like a professional–consistent, dedicated, and always learning–the magic happens out of that daily effort to do the work.

Some parting words of wisdom from Spealler’s post:

“Remember, CrossFit is not the Games.  The community of people that throw down every day is CrossFit.  As Rx’d or not, a regional or games contender or not.  Soccer mom to elite athlete, we make up the community.  The overwhelming majority of the community may never walk on the Games stadium floor but will have far more impact on their local community and possibly even farther by their daily efforts in the gym. THAT is CrossFit.”

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