Homecoming
I've watched and participated in quite a few homecomings in the last couple weeks. Last weekend the Badgers hosted the Spartans from Michigan State for UW Homecoming 2019 - that was a good day for the Cardinal and White! The last two weeks a long-time client who has since moved away was back for 'homecoming' and we were able to train at Pinnacle! And another client's daughter was back in town this week on fall break - and she got up to join her dad for training at 5:40am!
I love a good homecoming story! For homecoming to be special, two things have to be in place: the home and the journey away.
Home
Many of us have fond memories of home. Family, youth, sports, friends, your first job, the neighborhood and hometown. These are just a few aspects of life that make home such a special part of our lives. Unfortunately life has also taught me that not everyone has a good home to return to, but I believe we're all capable of building a new home with our new or future situation.
What or where is your home? What memories from home have shaped you into who you are today? What experiences or beliefs are influencing how you build your home?
The Journey Away
The second component of homecoming is the journey away (and the subsequent return). After high school I came to Madison for college and developed a new appreciation and love for Pewaukee with my first Homecoming in the fall of 1996. Even though UW-Madison was only 60 miles down the road from home, it was a world away - the journey could not be measured in miles. The journey was an essential part of my personal and professional growth. Today, my homecoming has been reduced to Badger homecoming football tailgate parties and games and being the 'home gym' for clients I mentioned earlier. I'm the home for many friends and clients that have gone away and come back every once in awhile.
What journey are you on? How has the journey developed your personal or professional life?
Welcome Home
In this issue of Training Desk, I want us to reflect on home, the journey away, and what it means to return to where it all started. This isn't meant to be a sappy nostalgic journey down memory lane, but rather an exercise in perspective and progress. Home may have been good or not so good - do you have a healthy perspective on its influence on your life? Your journey from home (either physically or emotionally if you never moved away) may have taken you to a good place or you had to battle along the way. But is there progress?
In Pursuit
My goal in life is to help people in their pursuit of a healthy and disciplined lifestyle. I want to create a home for people who may not have experience (much less expertise) in exercise and healthy living. But to keep our analogy going, I am also tasked with taking them on a journey away from 'comfort.' Actually I go so far as to say I'm training clients to be self-sufficient; I'm training them to be successful independent of my coaching! The journey away from home and comfort is essential for growth.
If we are honest with ourselves, we all want to lead a healthy life. For most of us, that will take some work to produce growth. And for growth to happen, two things need to be in place: safety and challenge. Optimal growth can only happen when a person feels safe. That’s our home, that’s our comfort. But we don’t grow if we are not challenged. Teachers challenge is in the classroom and we learn to learn. Bosses challenge us at work to get more done, provide more value, and increase our skill set. When we are surrounded with the right people, friends can challenge us to grow in our relationships and be better members of society. And of course coaches and trainers challenge us by assessing where we’re at physically and confidently daring us to go the next step.
As your digital coach today, I’m asking you to reflect on your home and reflect on your journey. I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes: “if it doesn’t challenge us it can’t change us.” But remember, homecoming by definition ends at home. In the midst of your challenge, welcome home.
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