Workout of the Day:
Rounds of 21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6 and 3 reps for time of:
Knees to Elbows
Pull-Ups
Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
Bursting Your Comfort Bubble
Written by Nick Hawkes
When I told people that I was taking a six month hiatus from the all-star coaching staff at CrossFit Invictus in favor of spending the summer in Utah being a Wildland Firefighter, the most common responses I received were, “Why would you do that?”, and “That crap looks hard!” Indeed, I must not have all my crap in one sock, a few screws loose or something. I left a great position at Invictus and a sweet apartment, and I had to cram 6 months of Navy reserve duties into one month. Not to mention leaving behind an extremely awesome girlfriend, one who does not mind being referred to as a hay burning pack animal. That is hard to find! (I love Llama.) So, why would I leave all this? To burst my comfort bubble, thats why.
Bursting your comfort bubble is about abandoning your reservations and facing your fears. I do not have any ideals that my new adventure has anything remotely easy associated with it. Its going to be hot, dangerous, and labor intensive. My time will be filled with 2 week tours encompassing 16 hour days, while the nights will be spent in a sleeping bag on the ground, with only a tarp between the ground and the sky. But that is exactly why I am doing it, for the challenge.
Bursting your comfort bubble does not need to be as extreme as moving 3 states away, ready to do battle with Mother Earth armed with only a shovel. It can be as simple as switching your grip during pull ups, or adding 10 pounds to the bar for your next WOD. If you have thought about running a marathon or a triathlon, do it! Maybe you want to write a book or learn to tap dance – do it! Bust out of your comfort bubble: don’t let the fear of failure or the difficulty of your chosen task be your guiding force. Appreciate your struggles, bask in your victories and learn from your defeats.
I do not know if I will enjoy this experience, but, I have always wanted to be a fire fighter, and now, for at least one season, I am.
Great article Nick. You have obviously made a difficult decision, and I respect you for that.
Be safe, and come back soon.
Best of luck to you brother!
Hell yes dude! I was a wildland firefighter for two years during college. You see some amazing stuff and develop some amazing friendships. I totally applaud your decision. It is some the hardest, most rewarding work you will ever do. Way to go!!!
Nick,
Excellent article. I admire and applaud you for your choice. We all have our comfort zones and should stray from them more often. Best of luck out there and stay safe.
POS
Nicky!
I miss you very much! I hope you’re having fun in beautiful, beautiful Utah. But remember to come back to us and coach!
I know there are several people here at CFI reading this blog entry that are contemplating some big changes in their lives, changes that will take them WAY out of their comfort zone. DO IT. You only live once, and you don’t want to have regrets later. Trust me. I’m older than you are so I know this shit! It’s painful to hear people’s stories of ‘woulda-coulda-shoulda.’ As long as you do your research and are informed about your choices, you can do anything. I’ve had a very fun life following my own advice!
Well said, Nick. Stay safe and come back soon.
And Cynthia, you hit the nail on the head. You always regret the things you didn’t do more than the things you did. Well, unless you’re OJ Simpson or someone, but you get the point.
Great work Nick! We are all thinking about you, stay safe!
Cool Nick…cool.
Wise words Nick, be safe out there…
be safe Nick and come home soon we await your return to CFI.
I hope you come back soon to coach us Nick. Your a Great Coach to have. Good Luck out there and yes you are very right about taking a challenge in life.
You look pretty cool as a fire fighter.
see ya pronto amigo
That’s awesome Nick!
Yay Nick!! You are freakin’ missed!! Thanks for the awesome and timely article. I think it’s time for me to bust out of my comfort zone. You’re my inspiration Hawkes!
Great words Nick, HOO-YAH!! Keep up the hard work, it always pays off… see you soon brother…
Well said, Nick! Change is difficult for most of us and I greatly admire you for choosing to go for it. Be safe out there!
Nick keep up the good work. The rewards that come with hard and dangerous work are incredible. We will see you at the end of the fire season. Be safe
Great work Nick……….!!
85 Aircrew says SALUTE!!
Way to go Nick. You did exactly what I am encouraging everyone to do. I call it Let Your Crazy Out! I just started a web site to encourage people to do that thing they have always wanted to, even though people may call you crazy. Check it out at http://www.letyourcrazyout.com.
Be safe Nick.