“New Year, New You…” no doubt a sentiment expressed into mirrors all over the world to bring in 2021. It’s that time when we find our purpose and make spoken, and unspoken, contractual agreements with ourselves and the ones we love. I promise I will lose weight… I promise I will be a better person… I promise I will read more… I promise I will accomplish that one goal that has eluded me all this time, etc… Whatever your monumental goal is for this year, just remember – you’re not alone.
This year, while keeping COVID-19 restrictions in mind, Team Clas, will be looking to begin new ventures to keep improving ourselves individually, collectively, holistically, and cohesively as a familial unit. To do this, we will divide our efforts into three different aspects of comprehensive fitness: mental, physical, and emotional.
Comprehensive Fitness
There is no one thing you can do that will help you achieve holistic wellness. There are, however, a myriad of micro efforts you can focus on to build your own self-help model or to frame a Holistic-Wellness Strategy, but just remember, every strategy must begin with the why. Simon Sinek advises leaders of industry to foster an environment built around the organization’s purpose. This same approach is equally important for individuals looking to improve their circumstance. The plan must lead to a clearly defined objective to increase goal achievement.
For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not ‘integrity,’ it’s ‘always do the right thing.’ It’s not ‘innovation,’ it’s ‘look at the problem from a different angle.’ Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea – we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.” ~Simon Sinek
Sinek, Simon. 2009. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Everyone to Take Action. Penguin Group. New York.
Mental
We all want to be smarter and more resilient under pressure. This year, Claudia and I, are taking a leap into the real estate game. Clas Capital Investing – “Let your money work for you!” is a company my wife in the beginning phases which will be focused on real estate property and mortgage note investment opportunities. To be completely honest, all the leg work and brain power thus far has been completed by my best half. My role at this point, has merely been that of a trophy husband bragging about how awesome my wife is.
Why real estate, and why now? Questions, even I’ve circled back to on several occasions. Well, it’s because we want to build an empire for our children. This, in no way, changes my trajectory of retiring and opening up my own Martial Arts Academy, but it will provide potential opportunities to own the property by the time we have our grand opening. My wife’s goal is to achieve Real Estate Professional status by the end of the year, and mine is to ensure she has the time and opportunity to do so.
My goal is to keep improving my knowledge on being the best teacher, coach, and mentor I can be for my kids and teammates in both my personal and professional capacity. To achieve this goal, I intend to complete the Forbes 20 Books That Will Make You a Better Coach or Mentor and develop a training plan to attain Life Coach Certification during 2022. The secret to success is to keep moving forward. Welcome the discomfort and the friction points because they are what make the victory that much sweeter.
The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.” ~Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa (2006)
Physical
As the COVID-19 Vaccine does its duty, allowing all of us to return to, or, sign-up at, our local fitness clubs, be sure to be remember every great achievement was built on failure. It’s those individuals that see failure for what it really is, a First Attempt In Learning (FAIL), and keep showing up that are going to hit their milestones.
My 2020 experience, was not a total wash as a competitor. I competed in my first Judo Tournament, taking home the Silver after a couple of hard-fought matches, and I was also able to test my Jiu-jitsu during a Submission Only Competition, at purple belt, with my Zen Martial Arts coaches and teammates in my corner. Even though I was bested that day, I left the competition with an invaluable experience which will no doubt help in the next phases of my journey. Sometimes the lessons you share from a position of loss are the ones that will resonate more with your students and family members.
Sometimes being a loser is the smartest you’ll ever be.” ~Dan Waldshmidt, 6 Lessons From Losing
https://www.businessinsider.com/6-lessons-from-losing-2012-12?r=DE&IR=T
The silver lining about starting a new year is there will be many more opportunities to test ourselves. I have every intent to bring my goal to compete in an international grappling tournaments to fruition. I’m focused and motivated to test my game against the many great competitors European Grappling Community has to offer.
Emotional
Emotional well-being, in my opinion, is the most critical piece of the comprehensive fitness equation because it deals with matters of the heart. It doesn’t matter if your tank is fueled with spirituality or an atheist passion that drives you as a human being. Finding your passion and building success around it, will help you find your flow and significantly increase your emotional well-being.
Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” ~Albert Einstein
Isaacson, Walter. 2007. Einstein: His Life and Universe. Simon and Schuster Paperback. New York.
I’m an artist at heart. I live for the conceptual, nebulous, and unrestricted forms of expression engineered with the right side of my cerebral hemisphere. I’m an avid writer, hobby musician, and martial artist. I’ve even been fortunate enough to find an occupation, within the military, which compliments my personality and affords me the opportunity to think creatively. The goodness of my reality, however, is only amplified by the loved ones I share it with. My family is my heart and soul. They are my passion and my reason for living.
The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family.” ~Lee Lacocca
https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/lee-iacocca-quotes
This year grants us another opportunity to share meaningful experiences with one another. One of my biggest goals this year is to bring my family to visit at least three countries I’ve served in when I was stationed in Europe in 2015 and again in 2017. Taking the family to Disney World is great, however, it would mean so much more to me to show them a sunset from the Charles Bridge in Prague, a truly magical experience, but one I would’ve traded in a heart beat if it meant I would be one day closer to being reunited with them when I was there.
I have goals on top of goals for 2021, as I’m sure all of you do, and these goals do more than provide a checklist. They inspire hope, focus my efforts to work toward the prize, and make living all the more worth while. I wish nothing less than the best to all of you as you take on 2021. Just remember, no matter how bad 2020 was, you’re still here and still in the fight. One team, one family! ~Doc