A Plug for the "How I Built This" Podcast

For anyone who hasn’t listened to it before, I’d highly recommend listening to the “How I Built This” podcast with Guy Raz. Not that this has anything in particular to do with fitness, CrossFit, health, or anything along those lines. In fact, quite often the guests on the show describe periods of time in their lives that were surely filled with long hours, lots of stress, little sleep, and few workouts.

In particular, I’ve enjoyed the episodes with the founders of AllBirds, Chez Panisse, Lululemon, Soul Cycle, and Southwest Airlines.

The reason I like listening to it, besides sheer curiosity, (the new All Birds episode aside) is how frequently the stories of what seems like an overnight success to the mainstream actually took a really long time, even multiple decades.

I think this long-term view is really useful when it comes to thinking about timelines for success - very seldom does someone actually achieve success in any kind of a truly fast manner. People who are successful quickly are occasionally uniquely gifted or lucky, but in my experience, far more often they have spent their time accumulating transferable skills in another field or discipline. Perhaps they have built an established network, or a knowledge of “the system”, or a skill set that hasn’t yet been applied in a particular industry. In fitness, perhaps someone has previously built a lot of strength, discipline, endurance, body control, or skill.

Also, it’s useful when assessing my own progress. So often the founders interviewed on the show talk about really dark days when they feared or actually faced massive failure, bankruptcy, or humiliation, and often on a very public stage. My embarrassment when I fail to handstand walk as well as I’d like, or when I miss a lift I think I should have made, or when I simply can’t do something at all pales in comparison to anything they describe, and yet, as I listen, I find cyber camaraderie in the determination required to overcome obstacles.

Anyway, it’s a good listen. If you haven’t yet, I’d pick an episode about a company you like and try it during your next commute (or maybe during a solo WOD, ehem, LGB?

WOD for 06-14-19:

With a Partner, 1400M Rowling, For Time

-then-

7 Rounds for Completion:
3 Ring Dips [Weighted]
OH Dumbbell Lunge/Lunge/OHS w/ Each Hand [Choose Weight]
10 Plank Hold KB Drag [Choose Weight]