Career Lessons From CrossFit
Taking the leap of faith from a regular gym to CrossFit was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. It turns out that the journey can teach you life and career lessons.
Doing CrossFit for years made me realize that it has taught me life lessons that I will forever carry. Many of these lessons apply to both my professional and personal life. Looking back, I have no regrets about doing CrossFit because of the amazing support you will get from the community—yes, even those who are veteran athletes.
Here are some of the life lessons I learned:
Setting Goals
A few years back, I tried going to big chain gyms like Planet Fitness and Blink but felt I was not going anywhere. I eventually got frustrated with the lack of results and direction. Why? I did not set any specific goals to begin with. I just did a patchwork of workouts without a training plan.
Fitness goals will tremendously improve the likelihood of reaching your desired outcomes[1]. I remember my coaches reminding us of the importance of having a goal in mind when we do our workouts and make decisions related to our health. I learned that setting your fitness goals should be based on your ability and commitment to it.
My experience in CrossFit and my professional life taught me that goals are like the big picture, requiring matching puzzle pieces to come together. The actions and decisions we make should ideally be related to our goals. For clarity, goals should also be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound)[2].
Example: Increased Back Squat Goals.
Specific and Measurable: Complete a proper 275 lb. back squat.
Achievable: Last back squat was 245 lbs. as of January 2025. To achieve this goal, I should make the necessary preparations (such as proper stretching and good sleep).
Relevant: Part of my goal to be healthier
Time-bound: By April 2025And yes, I could do 275 lbs. by the end of April 2025! How? Keep reading!
Building Habits, Starting Strong, and Taking Action
Now that goals are in place, it’s time to take action. As they always say, the car won’t be driving itself. The same goes for any fitness goals. Every small step will snowball to bigger results. Developing fitness habits is crucial in achieving goals because it affects your progress.
I believe the first step in taking action is building habits. Habits serve as the foundation of everything you do. In the context of CrossFit, good habits (even the simplest ones like hydration and preparing for the next day’s workout) will positively affect your performance. I noticed a lot of changes when I joined the Power Habits Bootcamp. I felt more energized when I woke up in the morning and even felt a little better when doing the hard movements like burpees or rowers.
Second, starting strong works wonders. I remember one of the coaches on Sundays always emphasizing the power position (POWER POSITION!!!!) before a clean or a snatch. The power position means proper and solid posture before you make the move. In a professional setting, starting strong can be done through thorough preparation, such as researching or practising before a job interview or a client presentation.
Finally, it is time to take action! It may sound scary at first, but there is no harm in trying and failing safely. It’s best practice to ask for help when you have doubts or feel you are doing something wrong. I wouldn’t be able to lift as much now without the coaches and fellow members extending a hand. For instance, I learned how to row properly through a fellow member when she saw me working too hard with my arms.
Reflection: Documenting Progress and Learnings
In my line of work, we always believe in the saying, “If it’s not evidenced, it’s not done.” This quote implies that if somebody claims that they are operating a control or process but there is no evidence or audit trail, it’s assumed that it was not done. The same is true for fitness goals. It’s good to keep track of your progress and document what you learned to know where to improve in the future[3].
I personally keep a record of my heaviest lifts, as shown on the Notion page above, where each record or heaviest lift will serve as a benchmark for the next session.
Within each line, I also keep records of the weights I lifted to understand how I progressed over time. This helps when I need to do a deep dive into what I need to improve on moving forward. Finally, I also take the time to post about my CrossFit classes on Instagram to document my attendance and how I felt when doing the workouts.
I have documented my progress in other professional and personal endeavours, such as my MBA journey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or my recent Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certification by ISC2. While I had different ways of tracking my progress towards my professional endeavours, all of them were tied to my goals.
Showing Up Even if It’s Hard
It’s perfectly normal to get that feeling of giving up when things get tough. I admit that there are some movements that I don’t like, especially during the conditioning part. Talk wall balls, thrusters, rowing, running, and burpees.
Many times, I get called out for slacking off on any movements that require squatting below parallel during conditioning (e.g., wall balls and thrusters). Sorry, coach! You know who you are! These are the moments when I felt like giving up but couldn’t when I reminded myself of why I went in the first place.
What does this experience teach me? Every goal or endeavour resembles a Japanese bento box or a Korean dosirak. Every dish in a set meal is included for a reason, even though there are dishes you don’t like. There will be challenges and hard times in any career goal, such as certifications, promotions, or job applications, but showing up will help you overcome the hurdles.
These moments of demotivation are the best times to take a quick step back and remember why you want to achieve your goals in the first place and why the challenges presented are essential to achieving them. In my case, I tend to push hard to get through the workouts when I suddenly recall why I’m doing these difficult movements in the first place. The value of showing up also gave me the courage to do the CrossFit Open workouts, where some WODs are intimidating.
Community
One of the most enjoyable parts of visiting my local CrossFit gym is the people. Beyond the workout and dedication, I learned that the people around you play an important role in your development. In fact, I don’t know where I would be today without the supportive community, both coaches and fellow members.
This reminded me of my old self when I felt isolated when doing my own workouts in a hotel gym or big chains like Blink or Planet Fitness. Sometimes, you need to work out independently, like work or personal travel, but having an anchor makes a big difference. In contrast, going to a CrossFit gym made me feel supported, as there is a culture of vulnerability, mutual respect, and fostering bonds[4].
CrossFit taught me the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people. I don’t mean a certain mould like income bracket, career choices, etc. I made this mistake during the first few years of my professional life, and it led to disastrous results! Rather, the people willing to support and cheer on you matter most.
Finally, it’s also essential to make an effort to nurture these connections by supporting and cheering them on. Be it that heavy lift or finishing until the end of the time limit.
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to all the CrossFit Queens coaches (current and former) and the entire CrossFit community for inspiring me to do better daily!
Give them some love by following them on Instagram.
References:
[1] Australian Fitness Academy. (2024, June 19). The importance of setting fitness goals. https://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/blog/fitness/the-importance-of-setting-fitness-goals/
[2] Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives. Management Review, 70, 35-36.
[3] Hilton, M. (2025, April 27). Why tracking progress is a game-changer for your fitness results. Legacy Athletics. https://www.legacyathletics.co/blog/tracking-progress-for-better-fitness-resultslegacyathletics.co
[4] Carol, N. The magic of the CrossFit community. (n.d.). CrossFit. https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/magic-crossfit-community
As a CrossFitter and writer I love this article!
So cool all the lessons you learned from CrossFit! I love the point about surrounding yourself with the right people so true