03/30/2026
Thinking about Square 1’s today. The times when we have to start over, rebuild, begin again. Square 1’s often come after loss. They are not an easy place to be standing in and if you let them, they can wrap you in despair and defeat. I’ve had many square 1’s in my life and they always come with challenges, but they have taught me how much more important it is to fall in love with the journey- the process- the work than it is to grip tightly to the end point. 13 years ago I had never worked out a day in my life. A Square 1 brought me to being a CrossFitter, then a CF coach, a CF gym owner, then a powerlifter, and now someone who is trying to find a way to like fitness again that her body can’t do those things. I have learned to live the becoming. I have learned how to change the end of the sentence “I am someone who….” to capture the re-definition of myself rather than needing to finish the sentence “I am…(insert whatever activity I have made my identity.) for example- “I am someone who prioritizes fitness” rather than “I am a CrossFitter”. I have come to see Square 1’s as an essential part of the human experience. One that can be experienced with maybe even a little wonder and excitement. Who will I become now? Who do I want to be this time around? If you have found yourself at a Square 1 again, I hope that once you’ve made room for the grief that is important to feel around it, that you can find a way to enjoy your journey to the next one.
