In the “Episode” posts I’ll try and recount the steps I took toward opening a Box. Considering I haven’t officially opened yet it’ll be an ongoing process.

Everyone who does CrossFit has had the thought run through their mind.  Given the type of personality CrossFit requires (driven, industrious, entrepreneurial) it’s near impossible not to have at least considered it:

“Man, I should open my own box.”

It seems so awesome in theory.  ”Wait a minute… I can make money doing this?” Time drags on. Responsibilities and commitments grow.  You watch other CrossFits pop up like weeds.

But for some the desire is too strong. The lay in bed wondering that same question “How do I know if I’m ready?”  Until finally one of two things happens:  You do or you don’t.  If only there were an answer to that “How do you know” question.  Well thankfully the answer to that question is really easy:

YOU NEVER WILL.  YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU’RE READY.

In Seth Godin’s book, The Dip, he talks about this phenomenon.  You have a new idea or desire, you are really pumped about it, and eventually it fades… where do you go from there?  I won’t go into the details of it (Seth wrote an entire book about it, I can’t do it justice with a simple blog post) but suffice it to say it is a great book and Seth and his blog is a fantastic resource.

Opening a box is not like getting a Personal Training Certification where you have an overly expensive “course” and there is a test you have to pass at the end.  No random amalgamation of letters (NASM, AFAA, or even CrossFit) will bestow upon you the title of “CrossFit Box Worthy” and deem you “Ready!” like they do with 99% of Personal Trainers.  It just doesn’t work like that. There is no and will never be any way of knowing if you’re ready or not.  You just have to try.

So how did I know I was ready to start the journey toward opening a box?  I didn’t.  I don’t.  And I doubt I ever will.  I just made the decision.  Kept working my unfulfilling job.  I fought through a lot of nay-saying with hard work, long hours, and a metric ton of dedication.  And I’m still not even there.

You just have to keep on it.  No one will hold your hand or tell you how.  In the immortal words of Marlo Stanfield from The Wire:  ”Either do it or don’t.  But I got someplace to be.”