#LessonsFromMyTrainer

 “Rhythm is everything in boxing. Every move you make starts with your heart, and that’s in rhythm or you’re in trouble.” – Sugar Ray Robinson

** This blog is dedicated to my TITLE Boxing Club trainers – past and present – and especially to my personal trainer who willingly took me on at my worst, let me punch and kick him, and sparked my passion for the sport which now fuels me to strive for my best every day. **

This month marks a full year since I realized that I had lost myself and seriously needed to do something to find my way back. It started about a year after we relocated from New Jersey to Texas, uprooting two teenage daughters and leaving the multi-decade comfort of our lives on the East Coast. New job, new boss, new home, new everything – and to top it all off, I was rapidly approaching a major milestone birthday (yes, the big one) and was in the worst shape of my life. Indeed, to my dismay, everything was bigger in Texas, including me! So I went searching…

Then, through a little science and a bit of serendipity, I discovered TITLE Boxing Club. Though at first, my body reminded me every day of how far I had fallen, my mind was motivated to keep going. My journey over the past year has only just begun, involving body-mind-heart-and-soul in a way that I never thought possible. And while the choice of boxing may seem arbitrary, I’m finding that there are numerous similarities to business which continue to drive me forward – in more ways than one. I’d like to share my top six lessons with you:

1)   Watch Your Position – I have a tendency, whether it’s versus the heavy bag, or versus my trainer, to get caught up in the heat of the moment punch or move, opening myself up, losing my form… becoming exposed. This is not dissimilar to actions and moves we make in the market – sometimes we can get so focused on what we’re doing that we lose sight of those around us, including our competition. Be sure you position yourself to always see the forest from the trees.

 2)   Protect Your Moneymaker – No doubt you’ve heard this one before and of course in boxing, this refers to your face. But how about in business? Where are your margins coming from? How do you think about your core businesses and yes, while you must protect them at all times, you must keep an eye on what the future moneymakers will be – or you’ll be left in the dust as the pace of change and innovation accelerates. If you don’t protect your moneymakers and your existing customers, you won’t be able to fund your growth and pursue innovation as aggressively as needed.

 3)   Train (and Re-Train) Your Muscle Memory – Turns out that the tennis topspin forehand I trained so hard on when I was younger works hugely against me when I’m throwing a right hook! No question in today’s world we have to often break old habits/assumptions and form new ones. This can be challenging especially if we’ve been doing something the same way for a while. In fact, key requirements for success in the 21st century are adaptability and agility – and this is especially applicable when it comes to our own skills, knowledge, and experiences.

 4)   Engage Your Core – In fitness, your core is a collection of muscles that stabilize and move your spine. A strong core is vital for balance and stability. The broader life analogy here is obvious. Our core = our values, our integrity and our character; and without it, we are lost. Every moment of every day with every single action – whether it be in your personal life or professional life – your core is engaged. Hopefully it’s strong. Thanks to the media we know what can happen when it’s not - the results can range from embarrassing to bad to catastrophic.

 5)   You’re Gonna Have to Sweat – Self-explanatory. Do you believe that anything worth doing or achieving is going to take work?

 6)   It Takes a Village – While boxing may seem like a solitary thing, the surprise for me at TITLE Boxing Club is how much the “village” matters. Whether it’s the trainers, owner, staff, or fellow members, the support and camaraderie are wonderful. As I’ve said many times before, life is all about relationships…be sure to seek and foster meaningful ones. It’s the people in your life that really matter, wouldn’t you agree?

Sound familiar? Do these parallels across boxing, business, and life make sense to you? Anyone care to share their own personal journey of discovery? I’m very fortunate to have found a path that’s helping me to become my most fit self – body, mind, heart and soul. Proof positive that it’s never too late to become your own champion and to champion others. After all, if we are to fully enable the greatness in those around us, we must first find the greatness in ourselves. #titleboxingclub #titlesouthlake #boxSLK #hitithard #titlefam #makeitcount #neverquit #noexcuses #fighter #powerhour #transformation