I Don’t Care
So here I sit… caught in a moment of both self and fellow CF’er evaluation. “What else is there?” When taking a second to reflect on the blogs of recent history it’s been a nice reminder of what we do have in place and what we aren’t worried about. We have amazing people surrounding us, owners of both past and present we know are there for us. A coaching staff that wants to help and truly cares about the athletes. Loads of good ass people filling the box hour after hour that make us want to be there all hours of the day. Results out the ying-yang… we’ve talked about embracing change, refocusing, why we program like we do…all great information…maybe even rocked out with fellow CF’ers over the weekends.
But yet we still fall into traps of low “motivation”…we hold ourselves back…why?
While reading CMello’s blog he talked about finding your “alter-ego”. It was a fun and thought provoking read I highly recommend. Post read/comment I let my slightly schizophrenic mind race. Trying to look past using my alter-ego “FTS” to work harder or lift more, an underlying mechanic surfaced…
I Don’t Care.
Yes… that’s right… I Don’t Care.
When I am at my best, in the middle of WOD madness, I don’t care what others think. I don’t care if I fail. I don’t care if I make a mistake. I don’t care if I look ridiculous. I don’t care if let out some sort of annoying grunt. I don’t care if I look like a dork bobbing my head to the beat. I don’t care if someone disagrees with me. I don’t care if I might puke. I don’t care I won’t be able to stand soon. I don’t care about my “other problems” for the moment.
I Don’t Care and I use it…I know it’s worth it and I’m gonna do it.
Its right then, that I just let go and take care of me. For those few minutes, I am just myself on my own quest….chasing down what it is that I want.
Don’t care if someone might be looking, or how tired you are, or if you look stupid. Don’t care if you try something new and fail. Just take a few minutes and stop caring and freaking get it done.
What are you afraid of? I challenge you to stop caring about the unnecessary things during the next WOD and after you achieve that, continue to apply it elsewhere.
Worrying about how you look with a barbell in your hand gets you nothing…lifting it like a maniac gets you stronger. Yes, think less win more.
Let’s all get on the same page and “Don’t Care” together… a group of like minded motivated people is an incredibly powerful entity. Seriously, back in the day a bunch of dudes in wigs got together on a common quest and started a revolution…now I get to shoot fireworks off every July, and that’s just plain awesome.
Take a second to think/talk about what you shouldn’t, but do dwell on during a WOD or in your day to day. What are you afraid of? What do you allow to hold you back? What is the reason you didn’t or don’t? What do you care about that you shouldn’t?
Onto our revolution…
MattyB
cfsiouxfalls.com 
January 14, 2011 at 8:34 am
You seriously were either reading my mind this morning or were in the box somewhere!!!
There was a time when I was “modifying” the entire workout this morning when I thought to myself….”I bet I look like a dork doing these reps of Good Mornings while the rest of my 5:30am group is doing a sprint work out, and I am sticking my butt out in their run lanes…..”
A previous very serious sports injury that has left me with a “non-leg modeling career” (haha, but proved them wrong, as I really can walk again) has hardened me to what peeps are thinking of how I look, how I run, how I WOD, so I’m not sure why today I was, at a moment or two, self-conscious???
“i am just myself on a quest, chasing down what i want”, in the midst of a group of great peeps that always seem to encourage at the right moment. THANKS FTS, your words are perfect timing at the right moment for me!!!
And Monday, when I’m doing the same alllll over again, I will say to myself this time “I don’t care” and I will just get it done!!!
January 14, 2011 at 8:58 am
RAWR! I’m in your kitchen MB! Glad to hear my ramblings sink in, and you are far from a dork…so knock it off and make Monday morning your b*tch!
January 14, 2011 at 9:40 am
Great blog as always MattyB!! I need to take a cue from you and learn to not care!! Crossfit is the one thing I do for myself…. I don’t have to be a mom, a wife, an xray tech when I am at crossfit. I am doing something good for me, for my health – so that’s right, starting now I don’t care!! Time to start rocking the wod’s for me! Thanks for the inspiration!
January 14, 2011 at 9:52 am
You are sooooo spot on LD! Show up flip the switch and get it done. You know when the crossfit train is rolling, not only do you get better, you become a better wife, mom, and x-ray tech…. its win, win, win, win. The gift that keeps on giving…kind of like the jelly of the month club.
January 14, 2011 at 9:46 am
Great blog mattyb! And I LOVE the picture!!
As a former crossfit member and now (hopefully only temporarily) a member of a globo gym I can totally relate to the feeling of being watched and reminding myself that I don’t (or at least shouldn’t care). I still “WOD” at that “other place” but man do people look at me funny sometimes – including the so called trainers. As I’m hustling from place to place in the weight area pumping out rep after rep I keep trying to tell myself, “I don’t care”! The first time I did kipping pullups at the globo was the so funny! People tried not to slow down and watch but you could tell that for them they couldn’t quite get it… I just keep trying to say to myself, “I don’t care if you think I look odd – watch me if you want”!
Those that used to work out next me at the 5:30 pm class know that in the middle of the wod it’s not uncommon for me to yell out a loud F-bomb in frustration – sorry if I have offended thee in the process but frankly, “I don’t care”!
In the end I go to the gym to get things done… not care what people think of how I look, what I’m wearing, how much I sweat or what a dork I look like with a piece of equipment in my hand. I’m at the gym to get results and take care of myself.
PS… miss all you crossfit peeps – hope to see you all soon!!
January 14, 2011 at 10:03 am
BOOM! Let’em look! Represent good living at the globo gym! You know what is best for you so continue to get after it and f-bombing love it. Thx for the post!
January 14, 2011 at 9:52 am
Matty- your blogs are fan- fricken- tastic. Quite a joy to read. Honestly, when I am “wod’n it up” the only thing I care about it proving to myself I can do it- ( even when the WOD seems like quite the challenge)!
I really don’t care what I look like, or if i am thinking so hard that my tongue hangs out of my mouth.. I care that I finish and finish to the best of my ability modified or RX…. when I hear 321 GO… I go in my own little box and go blank– its just me the movements and the clock and of course some pumpin’ music as my background- maybe I should refer to this as BUBBLZ MODE 🙂 . Everyone is so great at CFSF, I know they want me to get the 65 lb OH squat as much as I want it. All the CFers are everyone’s biggest cheerleader- so Cheers-from BUBBLEZ- and to not caring. way to rock it!
January 14, 2011 at 9:59 am
BUBBLZ MODE!! I heart that… Here you are folks, an outstaning example of someone caring less and loving it more. You are a stud fo’sho! Keep spreading the good word and doing what you do!
January 14, 2011 at 10:17 am
Great blog!!! You are right on the spot with “who cares?” That is the thing I love about Crossfit…the “box” does not care how much money you have….where you live or work…..or where you come from. The main focus is getting the the job done and kicking a$$ in the process. I figure if I can come to a place and sweat, swear, look like crap AND still have friends…. then ROCK ON!!!!!
January 14, 2011 at 10:27 am
Rock On is right!! We chose to harvest ass kickers and if you believe in earning it… we believe in you. So for those readers who have not given CrossFit a go yet…. Stop caring so much and get your rear to a box near you.
January 14, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Love this blog and the illustration! I definitely need to get into the “I don’t care” mode, because my “caring” has definitely held me back in my workouts. Do I really need to readjust my shirt every other second or worry that I look like a dumb a$$ on some of my exercises? Probably not. I need to start transforming my caring energy into WOD energy. My guess is that I will see much better results. Thanks for the reminders that my fellow CrossFitters are there to support me, not judge me.
Officially Not Caring,
Amy K
January 14, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Lol! Atta’girl! Loved the sign off there… you bet we got your back! You just get after it and the results will happen. Mangle that t- shirt and swing around the bar like a drunken monkey…its all part of it.
January 14, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Great Post MattyB! (and thx for the blog love)
All of that would look great on a shh-medium sized tee!
CF is a personal journey of improvement inside and out. Improvement is the only option! As we continue down our CF path everyone has there up’s and down’s and that is the beautiful thing about it. We learn about ourselves and have the opportunity to be better as a whole. Use all your energy at being 100% positive a 100% of the time and “don’t care” about anything but betterment!
Keep em coming buddy!
Recco
January 14, 2011 at 3:47 pm
Holy sh*t you are right…a slighlty tight medium gray t….ugghhh, I would buy them by the dozen.
But ya man, well said and thanks for the post. Hope we can continue to play some blog pong.
January 14, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Blog pong is on!
January 14, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
January 14, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Holy crap…an author that replies to every comment…c’mon peeps how can we not have 35 comments already to keep MattyB up to the wee hours…
“You know I know how…” — the minute it starts, I can’t help but start doing some ridiculous head-bob dance. Almost killed myself in the middle of a power clean today – NOTE: do not dance and power clean at the same time. But mix in some dance, a power clean, and some loud noise out of my mouth and dang can you pound out some cleans in 45 seconds.
The coolest thing about CrossFit is that you can be you, the real you. If someone comments it is some crazy sick compliment – I mean heck how can you not be positive on someone who busts their ass to make themselves better. You can be yourself. You can grow. You can be real. Wear those crazy socks (I love em ladies), tear off a shirt (yes, even I MAY get there OMG), head bob while catching your breath awaiting the next pull-up.
“I Don’t Care” is the exact thing that got me this far. I finally just did I – as Greg would do it, no holding back and being me, fallacy and all.
Heck there are MANY people I know who “care” so much about their “self-image around town” or “what would someone think” that they do not want to join this ‘cult”. Why? “Someone might think you are all weird and crazy and irrational for being jazzed about making your body, health, fitness, life BETTER!” I know this…I will not call a few of you people out…BUT I challenge you all to say “I Don’t Care” about any of that…I want some now.
Hey CFers…want to take “I Don’t Care” to the next level…MattyB we could do a Globo day and knock out an Angie or a Fran as a team, a frickin big team, maybe 50 of us all wearing CFSF shirts, yelling at each other, rocking some music, being ourselves…or at least we may be able to get to Rep 25 of the Pull-ups before being asked to leave. Scene potential for sure.
In the end, the “I don’t care” it seems becomes “I Care” for YOU! Nice work Matty!
January 14, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Bring on the post!! I don’t care and will get ’em all!! Solid post friend… a little bit of dance….a little bit of power clean, such a great combo. “Be Yourself” is such quality advice… its one of the first things I try to adjust if I let myself slip. I am who I am so I’m gonna enjoy it.
Oh man… I like where your head is at! What are those dance things peeps do in public??? We should plan a WOD in the mall….bust out of no where and become legands of youtube! CFSF Unite!!
January 15, 2011 at 9:19 am
Those dances are called “flash mobs”. Agreed, a CF version would be legendary! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM
PS. Great post! I’ll try to exhibit that “don’t care” attitude more often. 😉
January 17, 2011 at 9:34 am
Nice! Thanks… Flash Wod it is!!
January 14, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Another great reminder for me! I learn every time I step into the box. I want to be stronger, faster and focused! There are so many awesome athletes in every class that I can only strive to be half as good as them…to do that I will not care if I look like an idiot while on my journey to get there.
January 14, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Pffft…half as good??? What is this nonsense?? You are JUST as good as anyone else… it’s not all a numbers game. It’s about self improvement and being willing to put in the effort. Continue your journey…it will be worth it!
January 14, 2011 at 8:52 pm
You guys rock! I gotta give credit for my “I don’t care attitude” to Chris tho! I came to the box the first day scared of what I couldn’t do and what everyone who could would think of me. I told him “I don’t like to sweat” and he said embrace it baby. Well today, I sweat (it seems more than everyone else in the joint) – but I know when it’s over, it was worth it.
In all my years, I have NEVER joined a gym and kept coming back – I LOVE the box – because “nobody cares” – we are all there to do our thing and support each other. Classes are fun, people are supportive and I have learned not to care but to work my a$$ off for me and only me.
THANKS fellow CFers, Coaches and especially, my BFF Chris aka Recco!
Looking to “Not Care” in more areas of my life,
Jackie
January 14, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Well in honor of Recco… BOOM! Good people inspiring good people… that’s a lot of win. We will forever be happy to be the dumping ground for your sweat… thanks for being part of our crew!
January 16, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I used this new frame of mind on Saturday….Damn! It TOTALLY WORKS!
January 17, 2011 at 9:32 am
Perfect…good to hear man. Now step 2…repeat.
January 19, 2011 at 8:12 am
I would have to say that when I first started I cared about everything from what I was wearing to what people were thinking about me during the WOD. It was only just before my surgery and leaving (which was a hard decission) that I started to think who really cares what people are thinking or saying. I would just show up do the WOD the best I could. I really miss the “I don’t care” workout mind set now that I am at a global gym I feel that everyone is looking at what I am doing and they don’t understand that before my shoulder took a crap on me I was able to deadlift, snatch, clean, jerk, shoulder press, and the most amazing accomplishment in my life was to climb the rope.( never in my life had I ever been able to do that). I hope to soon rejoin and get back into the same shape and strength that I was in before surgery. Thank you CFSF for everything that you have taugh me and everything that you will soon teach me again.