Stick to the Program, Folks
I think back with such fondness on young and innocent Mead. A few other key words to describe her: stubborn, determined, a know-it-all, an ox… just to name a few. She came to NYC with such grand plans, and the universe smacked her right down. The original job I had lined up dropped my position before I could even get started, even though I had already signed a lease and completely uprooted my entire life to come the absurdity of NYC… I will never forget that phone call with my dad. His kindness and generosity of heart speak volumes of the kind of man he is. During that phone call he asked me what I was going to do. I tearfully attempted to explain the “mentorship” I had just been selected for at CFNYC (literally 300 unpaid observation hours with weekly coaching meetings with my mentor and other mentees… yikes), and how I had already started interviewing at multiple Lululemon locations. The hustle was on. The desire was strong. Stubbornness kicked in, and I was off to the races.
Not even a week after this phone call, I meet Dominick Fortino. Yet another man kind in heart and generous in time, but on top of that, a brilliant coach and programmer. I took one class and left his gym screaming at the top of my lungs. I had never felt such instant release and connection, I knew that it was the gym for me. But what Dom didn’t understand was the ferocity I would approach literally all desires I had to complete something, anything. Which meant that I didn’t always do as I was told. Handstand push ups? Strict pull-ups? A 250lb back squat? I. Wanted. It. All.
Dom wrote me incredible weekly/monthly programming. CFNYC worked me to the bone. I was eating, breathing, living purely off of gym fumes. I woke up and watched classes from 5 AM onwards, stayed in Manhattan as long as was necessary to do my programming from Dom, and then go to Dom’s gym for classes on top of that. Maybe even sometimes I took class at CFNYC because damn, I was desperate for my mentor to love me. Y’all. Can we say INJURY CITY?!?!?!?! Let me be clear, grit, drive and determination are 100% necessary in pursuit of the love of sport, especially when you have such huge aspirations as I did. But when you want something so badly, the only way you can truly gain that is to do exactly what your programming says, your coach instructs, your body allows, no matter how badly you want to do the extra run, swim, class, squat session… whatever. You name it. If it isn’t in the programming, it more than likely isn’t a good idea.
Why? Why be so boring and lame, Mead? Because, your ability to make a plan and execute it, make pivots along the way that still align with the end goal, are exactly how the mission gets accomplished. Not by listening to peer pressure, not by finding the next shiny IG post, or some stupid drug everybody swears by. By putting people on your team, who want to help you succeed, by thinking things through so far in advance your little pea brain couldn’t have even dreamt that up. Dreams are not accomplished through big, crazy, insane moments. Dreams are accomplished through the mundane moments of life. Repetition. Habits. Good choices.
The same argument can be made for those of us who are only striving to make the gym a habit. It’s so tempting to skip a day because something written on the whiteboard sounds weird, intimidating, not fun, difficult or just straight up impossible. Trust the programming. Trust your coach and your classmates. They are all there for a reason. The program exists for a reason. To guide you on a journey towards a better YOU. Once I learned more than one injury lesson, I made it my mission to show up to the classes/programming days that I dreaded the most. It provided me with two opportunities, every time: to learn from a coach how to teach something I considered impossible, and how to eat humble pie and enjoy it.
Hit me up, folks. Let’s make magic happen.