Good morning and hope you're doing great.
This past weekend, I flew to Dallas to give a presentation and teach some BJJ at a CrossFit event called AffiliateCon.
The topic of my presentation was the AMRAP Mentality, and it got me thinking that it's been a while since I've talked about it here. It's one of the most impactful mindset tools I've ever incorporated into my life, so I wanted to bring it back.
About 15 years ago, I was trying to balance competing professionally in CrossFit, opening gyms at NCFIT, and being a husband and father.
And to be honest, I was having a hard time doing all of those things really well.
I was trying to multitask everything. Taking conference calls while doing Assault Bike intervals. Thinking about walking on my hands at the CrossFit Games while spending time with my family. I was constantly trying to do multiple things at once, and it wasn't working.
Something had to change.
I remember being in my garage finishing a really hard AMRAP workout and thinking about how focused I had been during those minutes. Nothing else mattered. I wasn't answering my phone, I wasn't thinking about work, and I wasn't distracted. I was completely focused on getting the most out of that workout.
And it hit me. Why couldn't I approach the rest of my life the same way?
That's where the AMRAP Mentality came from.
For those unfamiliar, AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible. You have a set amount of time, a clear objective, and you give it your best effort until the clock runs out.
The AMRAP Mentality takes that same approach and applies it to life.
There are four steps:
1. Identify your priorities. What are the big things in your life that deserve your time and attention? For me, it was my family, my business, and my fitness.
2. Be present and work hard. Whatever you're doing at that moment, give it your full attention. If you're working, work. If you're training, train. If you're with your family, be with your family. Stop trying to do everything at once.
3. Switch gears. Just like an AMRAP has a time cap, so do the different parts of your day. When that time is up, move on to the next priority and give it the same level of focus.
4. Reevaluate when life changes. Your priorities aren't always going to stay the same. Maybe you get married, have a kid, or change jobs. For me, when Ava was diagnosed with leukemia, everything shifted. I had to reevaluate what mattered most and where my attention needed to go.
I still use this mindset today, 15 years later.
And the biggest thing I've learned is that being busy doesn't necessarily mean you're doing a good job at the things that matter.
You can spend all day jumping between work, family, training, and everything else, but how much of your attention are you actually giving each one?
So here's my challenge for you this week. The next time you're in the middle of a hard AMRAP, pay attention to how focused you are. How you're able to block everything else out and just do the work in front of you.
Then ask yourself, what would happen if I brought that same level of focus to the rest of my life?
That's the AMRAP Mentality. Be present, work hard, switch gears, and reevaluate when you need to.
Let's go!
Jason
