Just Keep Showing Up

Sometimes it pays to just keep showing up.

We’re in the middle of a big CrossFit competition at our gym. In fact, it’s a worldwide competition called the CrossFit open, in which athletes across the world complete one workout each week for five weeks.

The workouts are difficult. I’m not the strongest or fastest guy in my gym. However, after I completed the third workout the other day, I noticed I kept moving up in the standings, passing some people who were stronger or faster than me.

How did this happen? I just kept showing up. Some of the other competitors missed a workout here or there, which bumped them down in the standings. Even though my individual scores weren’t the highest, my overall score wasn’t too bad, because I showed up every week.

I think this is a lot like life. Sometimes it isn’t necessarily the smartest or most talented person that is the most successful in the long run. Instead, the person who shows up every day and makes consistent progress is usually the one who gets the prize in the end. If you are struggling today or feeling discouraged, what would it look like for you to just keep showing up?

Discussion: What do you think best predicts success? Is it the person who is the smartest or most talented? What about the person who shows up consistently?