LUCK - CrossFit Perspective on Growth & Achievement

I used to work for a great Sales Manager named Mark. 
My #1 mentor to this day as a Sales Professional and Coach.   As great as he was to me, he was equally hard on me. I thrived in the culture of Mark's team.  I loved it and hated it (strong word) at the same time (Kinda' like a CrossFit W.O.D.). One of the keys to Mark's success was that he would constantly draw correlates from athletics to the sales world and more specifically to our company, our personnel, products and market position.  He would practically make a competition out of anything.  It didn't matter if you were a former athlete or not.  When you signed on to Mark's team you had to fly at high altitude....immediately.  In other words, you had to earn your place in the team picture and then you had to keep it.  Doing so meant  working smart and hard every day with competition in mind.  Planning full days in the field, setting and achieving objectives day in and day out with opportunity or sales to show for your effort was the best way to prove yourself on Mark's team. 

If played correctly, you experienced success. 
Mark had a word for this - LUCK.  His definition of LUCK, which became and still remains mine is this; LUCK is preparation meeting circumstance.   For those of you in sales, you realize that "selling" is purely a numbers game.  The numbers are directly tied to how active you are in your chosen sales arena/specialty, to your success rate on landing appointments with your relationships and prospects, to how effective you are in those appointments which thereby convert into a sale with some form of reward (money/set of steak knives) attached to it.  Mark would repeat the following, in "Rainman" Fashion, until he was blue in the face---ACTIVITY BREEDS RESULTS - RESULTS BREED SUCCESS.  I learned a ton from Mark.  He helped me get to where I am today.  If I had the chance, I'd do it all over again. 

Competition as it relates to Sales and Athletics is perfect. 
If you want more you have to get more.....More what? More exposure to the path that leads you to the goal.  We now know the business side....here's the Athlete's version; Want a Muscle Up? Work Ring Dips into your arsenal regularly along with Ring Pull Ups.  Add a great Bar Kip from your Kipping Pull Up and you have all three pieces.  Now put them together.  Work on your transition from under to over the rings.  Exposure over time will get you there.  STRENGTH?  GAS? That could mean more reps or a bigger load or a better method to planning/programming your patterns to achieve that success.  See it? Activity Breeds Results - Results Breed Success

Currently, I am focused on the Strength variable of my CrossFit Training. 
I handle weight, heavy by my definition, EVERYDAY.  Guess what?  I PR'd my Squat Clean and my Split Jerk on back to back days recently as a result. Part of the success goes to exposure and the other part goes to mental determination and belief.  Mark used to make team members ponder the following thought; Is seeing believing?  He'd let you hang for a bit and then wham!  He'd enlighten you with the answer; You have to believe it before you can see it.....always competition....always belief....always trying to get you to your goals.  Great Coach.
Moral of the story? Put more on the bar.  Get used to how it feels.  Don't let it bury you.  You're bigger than that. WORK SMART and WORK HARD. Believe it and you'll see it, within reason of course. 

Earn your place in the team picture. 
Activity breeds results - results breed success.  You are in control of the action.  Strength, MetCon or Gymnastics are an adaptation by the athlete.  LUCK can only be on your side if you are prepared for the circumstance.  GOOD  LUCK! 

Stay strong!
Peace - Johnny