In conjunction with our upcoming contest (during which we’ll be lifting relatively heavy, pushing relatively hard, and looking to encourage the ever-living crap out of each other…if you haven’t gotten the e-mail yet, please let me know!), I’d like to make two challenges here.  I’ve done each at alternate times, and both have improved my quality of life immensely when pursued with rigor.  As we focus these next three months forward on progress, community, and results, I think we’ll all benefit from:

1. No Negativity/Black Holes.  Incessant arguments with people on Facebook?  Who is that helping?  How is that improving the quality of your life?

Telling yourself that “being there” for a friend means having to endure the twenty-fifth straight day of complaints and general bedraggledness about and around life’s absolute minutia?  No thanks.

The bar’s too heavy, the morning came too early, work sucked today, etc. etc.  Disengage.

To be clear, I’m not talking about the small, conversational moments that happen in the everyday.  That’s the stuff of life.  But I am talking about the bogs and quicksands of negativity, sameness, and energy-suck.  Let’s take the next three months and spend our energies and time elsewhere, wisely and with kindness of course.  God, that sounds a little too Dr. Phil (is he an actual doctor?)…you know what I mean–you will be a better, happier athlete in here and out there if you can use YOU on YOU.

2. No Small Stuff.  Back-to-school and the holidays (they will be here soon enough!) are stressful enough without adding a passel of crap to your worry list.  Lifting three times a week?  Great.  Hitting seven reps instead of six?  Who cares.

Eating clean most of the time?  Awesome.  Having an extra cup of coffee a few times a week?  Who cares.

Pullups vs. Chinups?  Down & Back on the Prowler vs. One at a Time?  Nope…our theme these next few months is “get in here, talk to each other, and just get it done.”  Eat clean and train dirty, as our friends at CrossFit Boston say.

Sweat the big stuff for big results.  Let’s make it happen!