410 Traits
A very successful gym, CrossFit New England, has a set of traits they use to drive successful from employees and athletes alike. These are the traits they look for in a new hire and the traits of folks that are attracted to their gym. They look for happy, hungry and humble people. To them, if someone is happy, hungry and humble then they will thrive in the CFNE culture.
I liked it so much that I thought about adopting the same traits as a rallying call but came across a set that I think better fits our culture. People who put in hardwork, who show humility, who show empathy and who show kindness will thrive in our culture.
Hardwork – show up and do YOUR best. Be happy with your best effort but make sure it is actually your best effort. Hardwork includes a positive mindset. You cannot put in 100% effort with a negative outlook.
Humility – know your weaknesses and don’t boast about your strengths. If a workout calls for muscle ups but you don’t have them yet then do your best with where you are. Know that a slower time might mean getting that muscle up in the future. Likewise, if you are ready to smash a PR it is encouraged that you be excited but don’t put on a show with the intent of getting mass attention.
Empathy – understand that others may not be where you are in life and that we are all working through “things.” Varying degrees of life challenges affect us all and no ones should be discounted. If someone doesn’t greet you the way you would like try to understand that 9 times out of 10 it is something else and not you.
Kindness – it goes without saying that we should treat each other with respect. For me personally one of the best ways I have found to deal with things I don’t like is to understand that no one really owes me anything. You might be upset with something but if you are able to move past that thing quickly then you will be better off. In turn, you will be a more kind and enjoyable person.
Looking at these four things and knowing that we have these traits around us everyday is awesome. We are a blessed group that is hardworking, humble, empathetic and kind!
