I did it. I found a local gym. It’s a bootcamp, go to class with a bunch of people and be run through a variety of “functional fitness” exercises kind of place.
I chose this particular gym because it’s locally owned, a few blocks from my house, and the guy did a great job introducing me to the place when I walked in. The truth is, I need guidance and support. I can’t do it on my own. The intro class nearly did me in. Twice I wanted to hurl. The first workout was moderately better. Part way through the instructor asked me how I was doing. I grunted something. Her response: “At least you haven’t barfed or passed out.” She gets points for smiling while she said it.
I felt totally great afterwards. Exhausted, worn out and hungry. Except for one thing.
My low back. Yeowch! Did I just pull a muscle? Or is it, as they say, “out”? Ice. Stretching. Even a little western medicine- ibuprofen. Not getting better after two days.
This is a rookie move. I hadn’t done anything remotely regular and physical for over three years, and no, diaper-changing and toddler-chasing don’t count. I even told myself several times to take it easy getting started.
And still, I threw my back out. Nice one.
I knew the possibility, but even so I did the rookie move.
What’s Up With That?
The trouble with doing a rookie move is that it’s impossible to avoid. If I were more experienced, I may not have hurt myself. But, I’m not more experienced. I’m a rookie. The moment before I hurt myself, I didn’t know I was in danger. It just happened.
I see this with clients, even somewhat experienced ones. A mistake, miss-step, a misunderstanding, and wham, yeowch! A promotion that fizzles, or some other equally painful business injury.
I know I probably could’ve completely avoided my injury by playing it really safe. But that doesn’t always feel like the right option. The truth is, I checked out a number of gyms, I checked in with my heart, I made my best decision with confidence. And I got hurt. So what?
I’m not going to quit the gym. I’ll heal. Six months from now I’ll probably be in fantastic shape.
The Rookie Move Is Not the End of the Road
Deep love. Acceptance. It’s okay. I was really frustrated to have gobs of creative time taken up by back pain, but that’s just a short term loss.
My spiritual path says to take a step forward in confidence. Why?
It has to do with trust. We are always being cared for, in every moment. It’s not always easy to perceive this, especially when facing challenges. Yet if you take the time to reflect, you might notice the signs of care and love around you, even in very stressful situations.
To wait for proof or certainty expresses, in a subtle way, a lack of trust for this caring. It also makes the grandiose assumption that somehow we can know everything we need to know, that we can truly be omniscient in the situation.
I hurt my back Wednesday. Friday I went to my next work out and two things. First, the instructor helped me modify the workout and showed me some back-strengthening exercises. Turns out he hurt his back, too, and knows what needs doing. Sweet! The injury didn’t stop me!
Thing two: there was yet another sign of Divine caring. In the middle of this very industrial looking gym, right in line of sight with my eyes, was a rose. You may not know this, but the rose and it’s fragrance is a very powerful Sufi symbol of Divine love and connection.
I’ve come to notice that the signs of Divine love and caring are rarely thunderbolts. More like private notes handed to you that no one else would notice.
Received Any Private Notes Lately?
It’s okay to be a rookie. It’s okay to make a rookie move because that’s what rookies do. You couldn’t do anything but.
I’d love to hear if you’ve made any rookie moves in your business lately, and if you take a moment to reflect, what little private notes of Divine Caring did you receive? Tell me about it in the comments.
What Is It That You Do?
We’re getting very close to releasing this!
One of the biggest struggles business folks have is in answering the simple question “So… what do you do?” Although we have an extremely effective approach, I’ve been guilty of burying this teaching within larger programs.
In about a week we’ll be releasing an inexpensive, bite-sized self-directed course, with a few premium spots to work directly with me, so you can take on this critical question and answer it… in one compelling sentence. So stay tuned.
p.s. Needing some hands-on help?
Sometimes a course or group program just isn’t quite the right thing. Sometimes you want something very custom, with the focus totally on you and your business, on your timeline, on your agenda, you.
Yollana Shore and Jason Stein have years of experience as healers and coaches, and have chalked up tremendous successes with their clients. And they are official Heart of Business practitioners, steeped in our approach. To learn more about working with one of them, visit:
http://heartofbusiness.com/training-programs/obd-program-basic/
31 Responses
This post feels like my rose. : )
I needed to read this today. I made a big step last week and put out an ad asking for help with my art project — for a Producer to help guide me and bring the project to completion. I spent weeks doing some writing about this, a drawing, and finally sent out my ad last week, only to be met, this past weekend by a wham-o realization that this isn’t what needs to happen right now. That it’s premature, that I’ve been putting way too much pressure on myself and the project.
And now I’m trying to not make a big deal out of (trying to be kind to myself) having done all this and then realized that it’s not in alignment, for me — for now… That it’s okay to have moved forward with the guidance that I was getting, and it’s okay to reflect now on what other information might have been embedded in the desire and the need that was making its way in….
Thanks so much for sharing Mark! I think I’ll try to meet my Rookie Move with Upper-level kindness!
jessica
Jessica! What a beautiful Rookie Mistake! So glad I could help be a channel for a Private Note. 🙂 There are some rookie moves that are truly beautiful, and I count this as one- stepping into bigness. Premature and it will be great ground preparation!
Thank you for the compassion in this article, and for the timing of it. I’ve made a recent rookie move and need to remind myself that there is a divine teaching in it, to practise acceptance and to move forward.
You are so welcome, Juliet! Did you get any Private Notes of Divine Caring?
Hey Mark
What a story, Leo- so glad you healed! I have an amazing cranial sacral worker who set me right, and if you do Google “Feldenkrais Portland” you’ll find Jacqueline: http://www.feldenkraisportland.com/ who is a great friend, almost family, and someone who I recommend to anyone in Portland. 🙂
Hey Mark – seems I was preaching to the converted! And yes, cranial sacral is a powerful and wonderful practice. The body loves the peace of stillpoint.
Hope your back heals quickly! I did something similar when starting at my local gym. The way you feel after a few weeks of working out, not to mention after doing it regularly for months, definitely, definitely has large quantities of divine love in it 🙂
Business wise, my recent rookie mistake was, when taking some folks on a tour of some hotel rooms where my art was featured, mentioning it was “not a cheap hotel”. Turned out about half of the folks on the tour were staying there that night. *facepalm* I’m pretty sure my level of respectability and professionalism dropped a bit in their eyes at that point. (Though admittedly, for those “normal folks” not staying at the hotel, they seemed to enjoy knowing it was a bit posh.)
I am eager to see what your upcoming offering is!
Diana- it did heal great- and, yes, I’ve totally made gaffes like that. Breathe, Remember, move on. 🙂 Sigh…
For me, the timing of this post was perfect. I’m just about to take on some for , in y world anyway, a ;big’ client… I feel such a rookie that I’ve dithered around whilst they are waiting for a price and some sort of report.
Your post made me realise that I just need to give it my best shot…and If I make a mistake, the world will not come to an end 🙂
Jen- Yes! Dithering is a total rookie mistake, which I have done a LOT of in my time. 🙂 So glad we can support you in stepping in and giving your best shot. Woo-hoo!
I’m in the dither pool with you all. I have to respond to someone who has invited me to come teach a workshop and it’s been months now.
I don’t know why this is a problem; I’ve certainly led enough workshops through the years. For some reason, though……
I say it’s that I’m waiting for guidance, which I am. Nonetheless I have to get back in touch and apologize.
Thanks, Jen, Mark, and all the rest of you for being a prompt (i.e., gentle kicker in the bummy.)
When you own a business you’re always a rookie when it comes to doing something. It’s endlessly humbling.
Yesterday while talking to a possible new client I came to the point where I had to share what it would cost to work with me. When I said “the investment will be so and so” my prospect said (very politely and reasonably) why do you charge x for that if you charge y for this?
I just choked because I hadn’t anticipated this response. Then I backtracked and said I’d charge her the lower price.
I got the business but I felt so ashamed and embarrassed for doing exactly what I tell everyone not to do.
Later I calmed down and was able to forgive myself, even laugh about what I did and feel some gratitude. In all things mistakes are the greatest teachers and the more mistakes I make the faster I grow. So I can look at this incident as an opportunity to evolve (which I am).
But oh how badly it hurts when you’re right in the middle!
Peace
Judy
Judy! I’ve been there! And… what a graceful recovery- so glad you can laugh about it now. And… you still got the client. Lucky them and lucky you!
I hate to say it but after a lifetime (so far at age 62) of being an athlete of various sorts and training pretty continuously since high school, you injury throws up a big red flag for me. When a student i.e. you, gets injured in training reflects even more on the instructor than it does on the student. Absolute top priority for trainers should be “No injuries for clients.” Any exercise can heal and regenerate or can cause harm and worsen the situation. It all depends on how the movement is performed.
All training should begin with some sort of movement screening to detect any dysfunctional patterns in clients because those patterns are the ones that result in “rookie moves”. Then the first steps in training should be teaching corrective patterns and proper functional movement and ensuring that becomes the new habit.
You may have been injured by a “rookie move” but the cause was at least in large part, a professional failure of teaching structure and attention.
Geoffrey- I totally agree with you. I had joined the gym because of one person, but then I ended up going to a different person’s class- it was a full class, and she wasn’t paying as close attention to me… and I didn’t speak up. It wasn’t a one-on-one personal trainer situation, so I’m not sure exactly how much responsibility lies where, but I do know that I have made a point of scheduling in someone else’s class, at least until I get familiar with the equipment, and I’ve learned modified movements from the original teacher. And it has made ALL the difference.
Hey Geoffrey
Thanks for this post! And sending some love to your back. 🙂
Sonia- absolutely, Ms. Kettlebell Queen. 😉
Rookie Mistakes? A ton, mostly having to do with lack of confidence in self & World. :>
But what I wanted to share today was a beautiful little Postcard/Private Note I received yesterday when my hubby & I were walking at the park after another fantabulous realization & subsequent conversation about how best to present our work to the larger world.
As we were walking along, I saw the blue of a Robin’s eggshell. I stopped & picked it up, happy because I know that means that we truly are hatching. Robin is one of my main bird totems, so receiving that eggshell in particular means happy, happy things. Among them, that our projects are firmly in place, that we are on the right Path, and that we can indeed move forward in confidence.
Glad to read that your back is better & thanks for sharing! 🙂 :>
You can be a rookie starting out with anything but you never know unless you take that first step because you never know unless you try. You may look back and be surprised at what you accomplished and it all wouldn’t of happened if you didn’t take that bold first step. I felt this starting out in grad school and sometimes I still feel the aches of being a rookie but I’m keeping the faith that it will all work out. Thanks for the great article! P.S. Stick with the gym, it will work out too =)
I’ve been less than kind with myself about feeling like my last launch flopped, and trying to dissect all the rookie mistakes I made. I was driving down I-91 in Vermont, coming home from Memorial weekend in the NH wilderness, pondering what I could have done, when I decided to just open up my heart and send out the love I have for those people who need my program but don’t know about it yet.
A little car zipped by me with the vanity plate “Annie 11” – a little handshake from the universe. Maybe a woman named Annie is waiting for me? Or there are 11 women who’ll sign on to my program? I can’t wait to find out!
Thanks Mark – it’s nice to feel some playfulness around my “Rookie Move” – just calling it that helps. Makes me want to give myself a knowing, compassionate, glance, with “silly Jessica…. even your Rookie Moves delight me” written all over it.
also – just wanted to say that I love how you respond to each person’s comments. it’s a beautiful example for me of connecting to your people, and keeping it real… it’s very heart-warming for me….
thanks!
jessica
You may look back and be surprised at what you accomplished and it all wouldn
i wouldn
As they say in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), “Success is a lousy teacher.” It starts of with “unconscious incompetence” where you don’t know that you don’t know. As you keep studying/working/practicing you reach “conscious incompetence” where you know you are not competent. Then there is “conscious competence”. Then there is “unconscious competence”. This process is usually for everything we learn, from tying our shoes to playing an instrument. Unfortunately, getting hurt is part of this process.
“I’ve come to notice that the signs of Divine love and caring are rarely thunderbolts. More like private notes handed to you that no one else would notice.”
I love this…we still tend to want the Big Gesture, when most often it’s a small whisper. As for rookie mistakes, well, I look forward to making more of them as I step out into my community in some bigger ways over the next 6 months or so!
I recently put together a simple sales page for my business and saved the page
Mary- Ugh! I hate losing things like that… so painful… it’s happened to me more than once. And the rose bush- what a wonderful private note. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words.
Hi Mark, you check in with our heart before moving your life in a selected direction. For physical movement, anchor first at your dan tien (2 – 5 inches below your belly).
This is the advice I give to participants in my Mind-Body Bootcamps.
Hi Mark,How’s the gym going, Are U still in. It It takes time to adjust, but still, from what I’ve seen, a lot of people are coming and going.
Sometimes You’ve got to push yourself- and its not always working.
a little advice: make a plan for every day-and train fast- 30 min- that’s more than enough