“Patience is also a form of action.” — Auguste Rodin
When we think of CrossFit, we don’t often think of the term patience. CrossFit is about going hard and getting results, right? Stronger, faster, quicker, harder? Tear it up, knock it down, 3-2-1-Go!
Yes. And no.
See, to build anything you need hard work. But nothing grows overnight. As stupid as it sounds, you have to tend the garden for a long time before you grow some tomatoes. We know that when it comes to plants, but we forget it when it comes to growing athletes. Or just plain people, too.
You’re not going to learn how to snatch well overnight. Nor will you perfect POSE running in an afternoon. Or a week. Or a month.
The simple truth of the matter is that good things take time. And great things take even more time. To think that anything worth its salt will grow overnight is simple foolishness. The best gardeners and the best athletes share a common trait: patience.
So lace up your sneakers, get your barbell ready, open your ears and listen. Learn. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Wait. Try again. Mess up again. Wait. Have patience. Persevere. Then, act. You might be surprised by the results.
Not doing something all the time is not the same thing as doing nothing. We forget that in CrossFit, and in life.
Learn a little patience. Give good things a chance to grow.
(Words by Lisbeth Darsh/CrossFit Watertown.)
August 20th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Barry, what are you doing to that bag???
Nice title for the pic, Lis, lol.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Wow, someone caught me making sweet love to that heavy bag. Well I guess the secret’s out.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Even Bobby had to turn away.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:36 am
When was this WOD, and how did i miss it?
August 20th, 2010 at 11:39 am
@Pam – I had a really hard time picking the bag up after the hill climbs. That picture only tells a small part of the story (The part where I was humping the bag) but if you could see me in action it was very similar to this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Au_8GMUxVs
Or at least that’s what it felt like.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Matt, it was the “Heavy Bag Humping WOD” and it was by invitation only. Sorry. Barry picked the guest list. He’s kind of selective about who gets to date the bag.
August 20th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Nothing in my life has ever taught me more about patience than crossfit. I am “I want it all and I want it now” kind of girl. But throught crossfit i seen my physical accomplishments grow one step at a time. Its made me realize more than ever before that little things really do add up. I now apply that to everything else in my life. I so enjoy this blog….but you know that already. I am a lisbeth groupie.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
“learn a little patience”….
August 20th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
@Stephanie: Good to have you in Comments!
August 20th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
You’re right Liz, normally I would be trying to join in on that.. It just didn’t seem kosher at the moment of me trying to figure out which ball was mine.
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:27 am
ummm.. all this humping and no K?!?!? guys! this is no bueno!
… AND I see Bobby just loves to kill little kittens… sad really
August 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Bobby, get thee to a gravatar, henceforth.