Measuring Mental Fitness
How do we measure mental fitness? CrossFit defines true fitness as increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. Specializing does not create the most fit athletes. It is the same for mental fitness. Life itself is “broad time and modal domains”- a variety of experiences, a variety of thoughts, emotions and states of mind, providing more than adequate data on our personal strengths and weakness if we will just pay attention, with insight and honesty.
So, we measure mental work capacity by looking at our individual, consistent and present frame of mind, application of knowledge and perspective by our thoughts, words, actions, purposes and goals through every circumstance we encounter. Naturally, this is relative to the wisdom of the observer. This is the beginning of mental fitness and the path to being more than primitive but rather, fully human. Though all of these encounters are not readily observable by others, the result is always evident within the indiviudual. Furthermore, habitual practice cannot be hidden from others because character is always observable. A persons life-style (the way they live- speak and act) is the best observation we have of them and we really don’t need any other. Another way of saying it is: we can measure mental work capacity by observing how an individual lives life, the amount of ease or calm they bring to themselves by keeping things simple (which requires maturity) and the direct and indirect influence they have on others. This requires experienced (wise), intelligent and intuitive coaching/mentoring and friendships. Ultimately, our primary duty is to observe ourselves and this will enable us to become more adequate observers of others. The most important thing you will gain from MotivationWOD is the awareness required and wisdom to be the observer of yourself.
We measure physical work capacity by records of physical accomplishment (measurable, repeatable, observable data). We measure mental work capacity by observing state of mind, application of knowledge and perspective by words, actions, purposes and goals. These things are measureable under wise observation (not numerically quantifiable but certainly determinable as mature or immature by potential outcome/result per situation) and they are naturally occuring. Again, the most important thing you will gain from MotivationWOD is the awareness required and wisdom to be the observer of yourself. But, groups of people, coaches, mentors and friends who understand these principles are invaluable to our evolution.
With MotivationWOD we don’t have to create scenarios as we have to create workouts. For physical fitness our workouts are designed to mimmick unknown and unknowable physically demanding situations, whereas when we talk about mental fitness, Life is the “workout” itself. There is no need to create scenarios. It is always happening! But with MotivationWOD, we will create a platform of multiple dimensions, a type of “matrix” from which the mind-self will be able to project its own scenarios and recall past encounters to create a real inner response for emotional and spiritual training.
MotivationWOD will help individuals facilitate a revolutionary change in the mindset of our community and the world. We need coaches who actually care about people more than just being physical brutes, elitists or specialists. This is a guiding-relationship from which both coach and athlete learn from one another and honesty becomes the foundation that builds true mental fitness that will spill over into what is accomplished physically. The true end result of such a program is absolutely unprecedented and unknowable but especially positive! An extraordinary domino-effect begins in which positive attitude, devotion, honesty and amazing work ethic are combined to create incredible athletes who have been positively influenced, their lives have been changed and the effect continues through them beyond measure, one person after another.
