Every so often, we need to take stock of where we are, what we are doing, and see if it aligns with our true intent.  I did this.  Here’s what I discovered.

Below are five points. Each point can be read as a stand-alone message, but I encourage you to take the five points as a progression, or a circle, leading back to the true calling.

• Coming full circle:

  • The Zen circle pictured above was the catalyst for the new ECo logo. I picked the Zen circle because it symbolized a never-ending journey (the circle), but within the journey, there are moments of passion, excitement, thrills (the dark parts), but there are also moments of lethargy, boredom, sadness (the light parts). But the “end” of the circle comes back to the “start” of the circle. It comes back to the spark, to the passion.
  • The only thing permanent is impermanence. The point is that life always changes. The good times won’t last, but neither will the bad times.
  • Interestingly, the Zen circle illustrates this moment in my life. I’ve come full circle in my journey as a coach. I started simply wanting to help people become better athletes. My passion turned into a business, which turned into a continual quest to attract people to my services, which ultimately led me away from the true intent of my services.
  • I’ve come full circle. Like the circle, I’ve returned to the origin. I’m returning to the thing that brings me meaning – simply coaching people who want to be coached. No more teams. No more groups. No more marketing. No more trying to prove to the world that I know what I’m talking about. No more distractions.

• Long-Term vision: 

  • Over the past few years, I’ve tried to convey the message that you need to identify two “big deals” and go all in. When you identify the things that matter most, set short-term goals that lead you to the long-term goal. The long-term goal simply points the direction; it is not the destination.
  • Interestingly, on the journey towards a “big deal” goal, we spend most of the time on a plateau. Those that are pursuing harmonious passion are quite content on the plateau. However, if we get restless, it is wise to reflect on the PURPOSE. Why are we doing this? Why are we committed to this pursuit?
  • I’ve been on plenty of plateaus. Normally, I know that the plateau is part of long-term growth. But, recently, when I was unsettled with the direction ECo was going, I reflected on my purpose. And I realized that I had strayed from my true passion.

• Revisiting my roots:

  • This year I fully immersed myself in endurance training for the first time since 2010. It felt GREAT! I rekindled the fire that I had through much of my late teens, twenties and thirties. I remembered what I loved about endurance sports. I also remembered that this is an extremely personal journey. My engagement on social media was inversely related to my depth of training.
  • Interestingly, I also learned a lot. I learned how to train as a 45-year old with an entirely different set of life priorities. I learned how to balance training with life. I learned how much more recovery I needed. I learned the power of gratitude.
  • I also remembered why I started coaching. I loved helping people who wanted help. I loved sharing my knowledge with people. I loved seeing people realize their endurance potential.

• Return to the true intent:

  • The past few years, I’ve allowed myself to get very distracted with “growing” my coaching through marketing the ECo brand, creating a team, leading groups, etc. My hopes were that I could be accessible to more people, thus achieving my goal of helping people become better endurance athletes.
  • I learned some valuable lessons during this journey. I learned that there is a disconnect between a person’s desire to be part of a group and their desire to be coached. I learned that my style of leadership makes it emotionally taxing for me to be a charismatic team leader. This creates a conflict between the service I want to provide and the service people think they can get from me.
  • So, during my journey of creating accessibility to the masses, I lost sight of what I truly love, and that is coaching people who want to be coached.

• Coming full circle:

  • As the circle fades and edges towards the origin, I too have faded and am ready to re-start. I’m backing off and returning to the original intent, the true harmonious passion.
  • I have devoted my life to understanding human physiology and sport psychology so that I can perform to my potential but also help others perform to their potential.
  • I’m simply an endurance athlete. I’m simply a coach. I’m going to continue to push my body to be the best endurance athlete I can be. I’m going to coach people that want to be coached. That how this all started. That’s where my passion lies.

May the wind always be at your back,