By Craig Hysell
Our mission is not fitness. Fitness is the tool.
Our mission is “to educate and empower the people we meet to live the life of their dreams.”
We do this through our philosophy, our culture, our belief system, each other AND the structure of our fitness regimen.
Our staff- both our coaches (“The Red Shirts”) and our admin- believe in our philosophy wholeheartedly and live it. Their actions speak louder than these words ever could.
We have gone through many consultants as we grow our business. Most of them we have cast back out into the business ocean. They are short-sighted. They do not share our vision or believe that our mission is possible. As the founder of this facility I have no time for that. Away with them.
Our clients are living proof that our mission is not only possible but WORKING!
It works because this is not a gym. It’s a Team. (Read that again.)
The Latin origin of the word compete means “strive together”. What a beautiful concept.
The people who train with CTF are One Team and they all help each other get better. No matter what they are doing- CrossFit, TNT Bootcamp, personal training, remote coaching, specialty courses or nutrition services- CTF clients all share a common bond with each other: pursuit of their best self outside the gym, not just inside the gym. They all lean on each other. There is trust, love, gratitude and support. What is life without these virtues?
I think about this all the time. I am VERY proud for all the people here.
I am so excited to wake up everyday and be around people working so hard, through all the ups and downs, to have a better life not just be a better athlete.
I think often of what our values are as One Team here at CTF. I have laid out what I believe them to be. I hope you enjoy them. I encourage you to take them into your heart. (They are already there.) Thank you for being amazing.
CTF TEAM VALUES:
Know Your Why. Always keep in mind WHY you are here. What are you working toward both inside the gym and outside the gym? How can you use your finite time here, today, to achieve these goals? What’s important down the line? What’s the micro goal for today’s workout? How will everything you do in the gym make everything better outside the gym?
Start Small. Think Long Term. Be Humble. Play the long game. Reverse engineer your goals and create the long-term plan to succeed. Be patient. Start with the small things. Return to the small things when you get stuck.
One Team. We are all stronger together. Be there for each other to lean on, to push forward, to pick up and to cheer onward. Trust and vulnerability are powerful virtues that actualize dreams. The Latin origin of the word “compete” means “strive together”. Remember this. Always leave the gym better than you found it. Do this for each other.
You Pick It, You Stick With It. You must fight mediocrity every day if your intention is to progress. The surest way to quit is to practice quitting. If you pick it, stick with it. See it through to the end. You will surprise yourself.
Integrity IS The Score. A “score” is worthless if it was achieved by means that make us less as people. Do not sacrifice integrity for points. This is foolish. You know what is right. Accept nothing less from yourself. Honor. Thy. Effort.
Be Present. Phones off, eyes up, all in. Once the class begins, be present and pay attention. Do the hard thing: care all the time about your development and the development of your Teammates.
Give Back. Improve the world around you in some way every single day.
Toes Outside The Comfort Zone. Dare to put your toes outside your comfort zone each day. If you do this each day, you will have a long and rewarding journey through life.
Do The Work. Be disciplined in your commitment to your improvement. Show up with the intention of getting after your “why” every single time you enter these doors.
Finish Strong. Anyone can start strong but few can finish that way. The last little bit is where you grow. Finish strong and NEVER stop before the clock stops: make every second mean something (in the gym and in your life).
Think Positive. The right mindset makes anything possible. Forgive yourself and love yourself because you deserve it. You must never shake your head, you must never believe it cannot be done and you must always remember that each day is a gift.
Fail Forward. Failure is a myth. You only fail if you quit. To struggle is to learn and to learn is to progress. Progress is a key to happiness. If you want to be happy, learn that “failing” is just a part of the process.
Have Fun. If it’s not fun, you’re doing it wrong. You have volunteered to walk the challenging path of self-betterment. Enjoy the view.
Live Your Dream. Dare greatly. Go out and earn your happy life. A dream without action is a wish. One day you will die so stop wasting time and go grab what you want from your life. Your journey will come with many ups and downs but, with self-awareness and your training here with these friends, you will relentlessly apply how to live happy so that you may die well.