Strength:Bench Press, weighted strict dipsWOD:Run, ThrustersMember News:-Please update your zen planner profiles with pictures of YOUR lovely face...No pictures of luchadors, fairies, jedi masters, etc(unless you actually are any of those things?!?!?!). We want to connect names with faces and be able to better track attendance! To do so, log-in to your zen planner profile here>https://badgercrossfit.sites.zenplanner.com/login.cfmOnce logged in, you will see a character icon that zen planner created. Click on it and it will prompt you to upload a profile picture. We'd like for member pictures to be updated by Wed, the 25th!Nurturing motivation***“No one has intrinsic motivation anymore,” I heard someone say. “People don’t want to be better. They just want to go through the motions and cross things off their to-do list. What an empty life.”When I heard this, I withered. I was one of those people, especially in the gym. I didn’t want to challenge myself with heavier weight. I didn’t want to push harder to improve my "Fran" time. I just wanted to cross “working out” off my to-do list.It forced me to examine, why? Why do people like me simply go through the motions of CrossFit (pardon the pun)?Fear of being uncomfortable: In today’s world, we avoid discomfort at all costs. Enter in remote controls, dishwashers, heated car seats and snowblowers. They were designed to make our lives cushy, without struggle or pain. Therefore, we try to dodge discomfort because, well, it hurts.Fear of getting hurt: Yes, CrossFit can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Athletes gouge their shins on box jumps. They knock themselves out doing cleans. They narrowly miss massive weight falling on their heads. No one likes pain. No one wants to be bed-ridden as their back heals or wobbling on one foot as they nurse a sore ankle. Getting hurt simply slows us down.Fear of looking dumb: As a society, we care so much about what other people think. So, performing a movement in front of other athletes – and the coach -- can be intimidating. Even during a workout, many people are convinced everyone in the gym is studying their moves (nevermind they are working out themselves). When a new move is introduced, people tense up and don’t want to try for fear of being laughed at (insert your fear of flailing arms and legs here).Fear of being last: No one likes being last. I was usually picked last in gym class all. the. time. And it reinforced the belief that I was the worst. It’s no wonder why so many people choose light weight just to finish in a decent time. They don’t want to be thought of as subpar. They don’t want others staring at them struggling to finish their WOD.So, what is the solution? What will grow and nurture intrinsic motivation?Think about the big picture.When Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, I bet his daily work was often ugly. I can just imagine onlookers commenting, “What’s that supposed to be? An arm? An ear? A cloud? Is he even doing it right?” But in the end, the big picture was a masterpiece.And that’s how I need to think of my life. I want to live long and stay mobile. I always want to be able to take care of myself and walk and dance and do a Turkish get-up (if I’m so inclined). What’s going to get me there?... Foam rolling for more than 15 seconds and lifting more than the bar.Take emotion out of it.How often have you done something without thinking – walking, running, driving a car? Often when we pause to think, it conjures up emotion. Suddenly, we feel anxious or nervous or self-conscious. Same thing with working out. When I pause to think about working out, my fear drives me to retreat from developing that intrinsic motivation.Instead, I try to view my time at the gym as automatic. The board says xyz, I’m doing xyz. I don’t allow myself any opinion or doubt. I just do it. I can feel emotional about it later.Internal drive is tough to develop, tough to grow and tough to listen to over and over and over. But I know, if I suck up the short-term pain for long-term gain, that motivational muscle will get stronger with every class, every lift, every time I challenge myself beyond my comfort zone.And only then can I say I tried my hardest and truly mean it.***from Amy Sullivan