Fall Season: School, Strengths, and Core Values

Colorado in the Fall

Fall is here and this is my favorite time of year!!  There are many reasons but mainly I love the cooler weather, the seasonal Fall foods, the change in energy with school back in session, and, most importantly, it's my birthday in November and I love birthdays.  :-)    (I had to throw that in there in case some of you didn't know) 

It's also my favorite time of year because I feel really focused and start to want to take on new projects, put myself outside my comfort zone and move forward in all areas of my life.  It's been a while since I've consistently kept up with my blog, so I am starting back on this too! 

This year I decided to go big or go home!  I recently started my first official Holistic Nutrition training through the NTA (Nutritional Therapy Association) to become a Nutritional Therapist.  I have been looking for a program that matched up with my view on nutrition and lifestyle and I have to say, I found the perfect one!!  We are 2 weeks in and I am SO excited for all the learning that is to come in the next 9 months that I can share with others.  This program is going to give me tools to help heal and teach others through foundational nutrition and overall lifestyle.

Along with this, CrossFit Central has started an 8 week training on the book "Strength's Finders 2.0".  I have taken this test before and am really excited to see our company use this book to help each of us excel as Coaches.  If you haven't read this book before, it's a MUST.  It will help define your top 5 strengths and how to use them to achieve the goals you have set place in your life.  It might seem surprising what comes out of the survey.  I know when I first read mine I didn't relate to them as much as I thought I would.  But, after reading through mine several times and thinking about them as I went through my daily practices, I realized they were completely spot on for me.  My top 5 are:

1. Empathy
2. Futuristic
3. Positivity
4. Harmony
   
5. Competition

After meeting with Jen Cardella this morning for breakfast to discuss them further, I am now excited to take Action Steps to tap into them more versus only focusing on things I need to get better at, such as my weaknesses.  Your strengths are powerful and make up who you are and we should use them wisely!

We also recently were asked to list out our Core Values.  Core values are those values we hold which form the foundation on which we perform work and conduct ourselves.  It seems like these would be easy to list out, but it actually became a 2 hour meditative session for me to recognize my top values.  This is what I ended with and why:

• Wellness/Health:  My health is the most important thing to me and is something I stand for in every person.  A life living "sick" or "unhealthy" would mean a life of barriers for me.  I want to be able to do everything I want to do without the worry of my body not being capable.
• Integrity:  Say what you mean and do what you say.  Keeping my word in every area of my life is a foundational value for me.  If I don't, it consumes me and I'm not settled unless I've made it right.
• Community/Family:  I could not do the things I do today if it were not for the community around me and the family I have.  I am forever grateful and reliant on the people I surround myself with that push me to be a better person every day.
• Trust:  I trust that people are good and I trust that things happen for a reason.  I trust that no matter what path we choose, it is the right path, regardless of if we know where we are going.  I trust that things always happen as they should even if we don't understand why.
• Personal Growth:  Every day is a new day to achieve or discover something.  Every day is an opportunity to better yourself.  My personal growth is so important to me that I visualize daily what I want in my life and how I'm going to get there.  My personal growth is also to serve and give to others more.
• Harmony:   Balance in my life, relationships, family, health, and career.  I need harmony with the people and situations I am in daily.  

Core values are important to know so that you have a strong foundation in whatever you choose to pursue in your life.  It's also good to sit down for a few minutes (or hours) and contemplate what really makes up YOU so that you can become the person you want to be.  One of my clients, Casey Rose, has an excellent class called 21 Days to Get Your Career in Gear that can help you find out what your Core Values are and how to use them effectively.  I took this course last Fall and it jump started my progress with Fuel-21.

This next year is going to be a year of greatness at CrossFit Central and I am excited to see where we are headed and how many lives will be impacted!

Does anyone else feel impacted by the change of season?