The Body of Knowledge
Growth Quadrants
Tue Aug 27 2019Description
The episode explores the difference between motivation and purpose in achieving sustainable growth. It emphasizes the importance of addressing purpose, behavior, relationship, and system in coaching conversations. The fitness industry's focus on surface-level goals is discussed, along with the need for clarity of purpose. The four quadrants (purpose, behaviors, relationships, systems) are introduced as a diagnostic tool for assessing alignment. The episode also delves into the challenges of navigating the end of a fitness journey and balancing short-term wins with long-term growth. Effective coaching conversations, wellness models, and the value of high-touch gym experiences are explored. The tension between purpose and other factors is highlighted, along with the importance of coaching from a place of meaningful life and growth.
Insights
Motivation vs. Purpose
Motivation lacks durability and resilience when pressed, while purpose provides a deeper motivation. Good coaching involves clarifying purpose, supporting behaviors, relating to the individual, and creating a supportive system.
Fitness Goals and Sustainable Practices
Understanding the truth behind someone's goals is crucial for sustainable progress. Building a relationship with a coach or leader is essential for success.
Key Pieces for Fitness and Nutrition Goals
The four key pieces to achieving fitness or nutrition goals are motivation and purpose, connection or relationship with a coach, executing behaviors sustainably, and having a sustainable system.
CrossFit's Success and Failures
CrossFit initially focused on the behavior piece of fitness, but neglected the purpose, relationship, and systemic components. The four quadrants (purpose, behaviors, relationships, systems) can be used to assess alignment for sustainable growth.
Coaching and Growth in Various Areas of Life
Coaching is about changing and growing individuals, not just improving their physical performance. Clear communication between coach and client helps manage expectations and prevent misunderstandings.
Navigating the End of a Fitness Journey
Having a tool set to navigate the end of a fitness journey is important. Building relationships with athletes requires emotional investment and a shared commitment to the dream.
Balancing Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Growth
Short-term wins can be helpful in the growth process. Many people realize that their initial goals weren't what they truly wanted.
Effective Coaching Conversations
Listening actively and asking probing questions can help uncover the deeper reasons behind someone's actions. High-functioning individuals often neglect basic needs like sleep, which can hinder physical progress despite their efforts in training.
Wellness Model and Trust in Coaching
The coach intervenes when the client's actions don't align with their stated goals. There is a high level of trust between the coach and client in this situation.
The Value of High-Touch Gym Experience
The value of the gym experience lies in the high touch interactions and emotional connections between coaches and clients. Trust, time, and practice are necessary for deeper purposes to be revealed and fuel future cycles of growth.
Chapters
- Motivation vs. Purpose
- Fitness Goals and Sustainable Practices
- Key Pieces for Fitness and Nutrition Goals
- CrossFit's Success and Failures
- Coaching and Growth in Various Areas of Life
- Navigating the End of a Fitness Journey
- Balancing Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Growth
- Effective Coaching Conversations
- Wellness Model and Trust in Coaching
- The Value of High-Touch Gym Experience
- Challenges in Combat Sport Training
- Coaching from a Place of Meaningful Life and Growth
Motivation vs. Purpose
00:00 - 07:39
- Motivational quotes and posts are short-term solutions to longer problems.
- Building sustainable practices is the goal of the Body of Knowledge podcast.
- Motivation lacks durability and resilience when pressed, while purpose provides a deeper motivation.
- Coaching conversations around four pillars of growth: purpose, behavior, relationship, and system.
- Change is accidental, but growth is optional.
- Good coaching involves clarifying purpose, supporting behaviors, relating to the individual, and creating a supportive system.
- Growth requires support from others and systemic factors.
- The system developed to deepen conversations and facilitate growth.
- The system is evergreen and transferable across different areas of life.
- Meaningful conversation starts with understanding what someone wants to achieve.
- Competence and confidence are underlying motivations for goals like losing fat or getting stronger.
Fitness Goals and Sustainable Practices
07:18 - 13:55
- The desire to be leaner, skinnier, or stronger is often about competence and confidence.
- The fitness industry capitalizes on surface-level goals, which leads to unsustainable practices.
- A valuable conversation at the beginning can help identify the deeper motivations behind fitness goals.
- Most people are looking for a sense of confidence, belonging, community, and contribution.
- Understanding the truth behind someone's goals is crucial for sustainable progress.
- Addressing purpose and behavior are important steps in achieving fitness goals.
- Building a relationship with a coach or leader is essential for success.
- Being in a supportive system and environment is key to achieving desired outcomes.
Key Pieces for Fitness and Nutrition Goals
13:36 - 20:47
- The four key pieces to achieving fitness or nutrition goals are motivation and purpose, connection or relationship with a coach, executing behaviors sustainably, and having a sustainable system.
- If any of these pieces are off, the system won't last long.
- Adherence and consistency are crucial for the efficacy of any program.
- Motivation, behavior, and purpose are internal qualities, while the people around you and the systems in your environment are external factors that can affect your progress.
- A good coach is always learning and elevating their capacity to teach in various ways.
- CrossFit initially succeeded because it excelled at motivation and forming relationships within its community.
- Absolute clarity of purpose is important for any fitness program.
- Intensity has an impact on human beings and can create intense experiences.
CrossFit's Success and Failures
20:20 - 27:38
- CrossFit initially focused on the behavior piece of fitness, but neglected the purpose, relationship, and systemic components.
- The execution and marketing of CrossFit led to criticism and inconsistency in sustainable growth.
- A diagnostic tool called the four quadrants (purpose, behaviors, relationships, systems) can be used to assess alignment for sustainable growth.
- In the fitness industry, there is a lack of accountability and consistency in practicing fitness with longevity.
- The four quadrants apply beyond fitness and can be used to improve any area of life by aligning purpose, behaviors, relationships, and systems.
- Having all four quadrants aligned increases the chances of success in achieving growth.
- The four quadrants provide clarity in identifying failure or areas for improvement.
- Leaders should take responsibility for creating better systems to motivate others rather than blaming them for lack of motivation.
Coaching and Growth in Various Areas of Life
27:14 - 33:56
- Motivation can be improved by creating a better class dynamic and building relationships among students.
- Providing material in manageable pieces can increase motivation.
- A kick-ass system with supportive relationships can help individuals get back on track if they are not consistent.
- The speaker learned about the nature of change and growth through a leadership development program called Unbeatable Mind.
- Coaching is about changing and growing individuals, not just improving their physical performance.
- The coach-client relationship should be based on authenticity and clear expectations.
- Both the coach and client have responsibility in the coaching process.
- If the coach does not have expertise or capacity to deliver what the client needs, it is important to communicate that openly.
- Clear communication between coach and client helps manage expectations and prevent misunderstandings.
- This tool set provides explicit guidance for staying true to one's purpose, behaving accordingly, and having open conversations about expectations.
Balancing Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Growth
39:23 - 47:02
- The system works for several things, but it doesn't align with a deeper purpose.
- Using this diagnostic tool helps identify when things aren't lining up and truing up.
- Short-term wins can be helpful in the growth process.
- Coaches need to evaluate if individuals still want to pursue their initial goals or explore something else.
- Many people realize that their initial goals weren't what they truly wanted.
- There are finite game performance goals and infinite game growth goals.
- It's important to balance both types of goals for long-term success.
- Coaching can help manage the cognitive load of setting and achieving multiple goals.
- Humans are naturally irrational and tend to jump from one thing to another without accountability.
- Having conversations and using scorecards can help guide the coaching process.
Effective Coaching Conversations
46:37 - 53:38
- When having a conversation about someone's motivations and goals, it is important to establish trust and understanding.
- Listening actively and asking probing questions can help uncover the deeper reasons behind someone's actions.
- Reflecting back what the person has said and mirroring their thoughts can help establish a plan that aligns with their goals.
- It is crucial to ensure that the plan is sustainable and focuses on adherence and consistency.
- Having live human coaches with expertise and systemic support can greatly contribute to achieving long-term success.
- The conversation should be tailored based on the level of intimacy in the relationship with the person.
- High-functioning individuals often neglect basic needs like sleep, which can hinder physical progress despite their efforts in training.
- Calling out individuals on their responsibilities and emphasizing the importance of foundational habits like sleep can lead to better results.
Wellness Model and Trust in Coaching
53:12 - 1:00:35
- The coach emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility and doing the work to achieve desired results.
- The intervention for the client includes down-regulatory breath techniques, meaningful sleep strategies, and holding responsibility.
- The conversation is divided into different quadrants based on purpose and goals.
- In a wellness model, there is low risk for injury and stress amplification.
- Meaningful growth can be achieved by focusing on general wellness and health.
- The coach intervenes when the client's actions don't align with their stated goals.
- There is a high level of trust between the coach and client in this situation.
- The coach's passion comes from caring about the client's success.
- Clarity is important in defining the nature of the coaching relationship and roles involved.
- Self-selection plays a role in attracting clients who understand the value of long-term progression.
The Value of High-Touch Gym Experience
1:00:06 - 1:07:22
- The value of the gym experience lies in the high touch interactions and emotional connections between coaches and clients.
- This approach to training is purposeful and requires humility around failure.
- It is for people who want to play the long game of intentional, sustainable growth.
- Changing habits and making decisions require perseverance and a willingness to try new approaches.
- Trust, time, and practice are necessary for deeper purposes to be revealed and fuel future cycles of growth.
- Failure is an option in this process, as it allows for learning and improvement.
- Having systems in place is crucial for executing on opportunities and maintaining a reputation for delivering on promises.
- In a service-based industry like fitness, following through with what you say you will do is essential for success.
- The business model of high touch gyms has a natural ceiling due to limited capacity.
Challenges in Combat Sport Training
1:06:59 - 1:13:30
- There is a natural ceiling to the business model of running a high-touch situation with a small group of about 150-200 people.
- High-level combat sport athletes usually have strong motivation and good behavior, but sometimes they train too much and don't follow instructions.
- Faulty relationships or systems in the gym can contribute to athletes' fear and nervousness, leading to poor adherence to training plans.
- Instagram can be a negative influence on fighters, as they see others sparring and feel the need to get back in the gym.
- Looking at successes and failures in purpose, behavior, relationships, and systems can help identify areas for improvement.
Coaching from a Place of Meaningful Life and Growth
1:13:01 - 1:17:02
- There are tensions between purpose and behavior, relationships, and systems.
- Identify these tensions to apply them in conversations or coaching sessions.
- Coaching from a place of meaningful life and growth is valuable.
- The show offers tools and assets for growth and decision-making.
- The longer game conversation challenges the shorter game decision-making prevalent today.
- More tools will be offered throughout the season for free or with greater depth for pay.