Lessons Learned is going to be a category under rolling reflections. I’m going to pick a person in my life that I learned something from. I just want to document how people influenced my life. Some of the things I agree with and others were just thoughts that got me thinking.
The first person was my college strength coach, Mark Watts. When I was struggling personally in college he gave me a job, which opened my life to the health and wellness field. My experience working with Watts greatly impacted who I am today.
- Change your mind
Watts had to change his philosophies on training. He also would constantly shift his occupation in order to meet the needs of his family. He would have to change the focus of the training sessions to meet the demands of the teams he was coaching.
- Relationships
Watts had a couple pieces of relationship advice. Have a distance relationship. This forces you to work on communication without the benefit of physical touch. This is one of the most important aspects of a relationship. When you write letters, call each other, and text it shows that the other person is a priority. Living away from your family was his second piece of advice. He loves his wife and his daughters. He cares about their development.
- Passion Matters
He was loved most for his passion. When he was around, he made the situation better. People found their experience with him to be pleasant even if they had prior conceptions that training was unpleasant. All of this was due to his passion. I’m certain that
- Give Back
He always had students. He always helped people when he could. This was an admirable trait.
- On Money
His rule of thumb was always make as much money as your age. Don’t think it’s a great rule of thumb, but it’s something.
Seeking Progress 