BE before you DO. Start with burpees.

14 men. 56º. A perfect day for 1.75 miles of suicide sprints and 1,400+ burpees.

DISCLAIMER

PRAYER

COP

Merkins 25 IC
Through The Tunnel 10 IC
Shoulder Pretzels 20 IC

THE THANG
The “Thang” is five stations of two-man teams alternating between suicide sprints and cumulative burpees, with a group goal of 28 completed sets of 10 burpees at each station, before moving to the next. (Group would yell “10” at the end of each completed set of burpees so that the QIC could keep track.)

Man 1: Burpees
Man 2: Suicide sprints and wall jumps to wall one, back, wall two, back, and wall three back, then swap with Man 1.
Swap. Rinse. Repeat until group reaches cumulative 28 sets of 10 burpees.
(mosey to tombstone hill)

Man 1: Burpees
Man 2: Suicide sprints to light one, back, light two, back, light three, back, and then swap with Man 1.
Swap. Rinse. Repeat until group reaches cumulative 28 sets of 10 burpees.
(mosey to cones at the south side of field)

Man 1: Burpees
Man 2: Suicide sprints to cone one, back, cone two, back, cone three, back, and then swap with Man 1.
Swap. Rinse. Repeat until group reaches cumulative 28 sets of 10 burpees.
(mosey to cones at the north side of the field)

Man 1: Burpees
Man 2: Suicide sprints to cone one, back, cone two, back, cone three, back, and then swap with Man 1.
Swap. Rinse. Repeat until group reaches cumulative 28 sets of 10 burpees.
(mosey back to amphitheatre)

Man 1: Burpees
Man 2: Suicide sprints and wall jumps to wall one, back, wall two, back, and wall three back, then swap with Man 1.
Swap. Rinse. Repeat until group reaches cumulative 28 sets of 10 burpees.
(circle up for MARY)

MARY

Boats/Canoes 15 IC
5-Second Recovery
Boats/Canoes 15 IC
10-Second Recovery
Boats/Canoes 15 IC

CIRCLE OF TRUST

Count-a-rama with 14.

PRAYER

MOLESKIN

The simplicity of today’s work was inspired by the simplicity of the slogan that Bill Belichick has posted all over the locker room and head offices for the New England Patriots football team — “Do your job.”

I saw a blurb about the “do your job” slogan online, and connected the dots to a new task management app that I’ve been using called Habitica.

Habitica is a game-ified to-do app that allows you to create to-do items in three categories, that help you be more intentional in life, and help motivate you to complete tasks by using an in-app character who receives rewards when you complete tasks, and damage when you fail to complete them. The app allows you to define to-do items in three areas: 1. Real-life tasks that you need to accomplish (submit a report, send an email, call someone, etc); 2. To-do items that help remind you to be the kind of person you want to be (make someone smile, encourage someone, write a song, etc); and 3. A list of to-do or to-don’t items that help remind you to be healthy (drink 100 ounces of water, don’t eat dessert, eat less than 2,000 calories, etc).

I’ve been using Habitica for a couple months now, and although I don’t really press into the gaming aspects of it that much, I have found it to be fun enough to help keep me on track. Checking off boxes to earn rewards is fun, and the fact that my characters is hurt when I don’t check them off helps keep me accountable to get things done. I’ve been more productive since I started using the app, and even more importantly, I’ve been more intentional because it’s prompted me to put together a list of daily to-BE items that represent the kind of person I want to be, not just a list of to-DO items that represent the work I need to get done. Thinking through that process led me to a revelation, and a tweet last week…

“I’m more content, productive, and confident in my purpose when I decide what kind of person I want to BE before I make a list of what I need to DO.”

That’s simple, but it’s profound.

It’s easy to get caught up in doing stuff because it’s our job, because someone asked us to do it, or because someone “needs” us to do it but — I’ve found it’s much more enjoyable (and I’m much more productive) when I decide who I want to BE first, then, using that as a guiding value, prioritize what I’m going to DO.

Tying that into Belichick’s team slogan of “Do your job,” there are all kinds of connecting points to how effective individuals and teams can be, when they are intentional about figuring out who they are and what their job is, then doing that job.

Lived out in the micro-example of today’s workout… 14 men decided that part of who they wanted to BE was healthy, strong, relational, and connected men who were willing to put in the work and encourage others to do the same. Once we set those individual goals, we worked as two-man teams, and as a group, to “do our jobs” and accomplish a larger goal (just short of two miles of running and something close to 1,500 burpees including both completed and partial sets as we transitioned from station to station). You get the idea.

Check out Habitica if you like. It’s been working for me. Maybe it’ll work for you. Without question, though, I recommend taking some time to jot down a list of what kinds of things the person that you want to be does, then create some system of accountability and motivation that helps you get it done.

You’ll be better for it.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nothing.

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