What Is Your Life Reflecting?

There has been a lot of conversation lately about the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.

People are talking about how it looks, what happened to it, who is responsible, and what should be done next.

But seeing the words “Reflecting Pool” over and over made me think about a different question:

When was the last time you stopped long enough to reflect on your own life?

Not to blame yourself.

Not to beat yourself up over every wrong turn.

Not to compare your life to someone else’s highlight reel.

But to honestly look at where you are, the choices that brought you here, and the direction you want to go next.

We Are Living in the Results of Our Choices

Years ago, I attended a conference where one of the speakers said something that has stayed with me:

We are where we are because of our best choices—not somebody else’s.

At first, that can sound harsh.

It would often be easier to believe that our life is primarily the result of our boss, the economy, the government, our childhood, our schedule, our genetics, or the opportunities we were never given.

Those things matter. Some people face stronger headwinds than others. Life is not always fair, and many circumstances are outside our control.

But even when we cannot control the wind, we still have some control over the sails.

Jim Rohn often taught that the same winds of change, disappointment, difficulty, and opportunity blow on all of us. What determines our direction is how we respond and how we set our sails.

That does not mean we control everything that happens.

It means we get to decide what we do next.

It does not matter who your boss is.

It does not matter who the president is.

It does not matter whether the economy is booming or struggling.

Those things can affect our lives, but they do not get to make every decision for us.

We still decide whether to get up in the morning.

We decide whether to exercise.

We decide what we eat most of the time.

We decide whether to keep learning.

We decide whom we ask for help.

We decide whether to stay in an unhealthy situation forever or begin building a path toward something better.

We decide whether to continue drifting or finally choose a direction.

I Always Wanted to Own a Gym

Fitness has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

I wrestled. I played football. I pole-vaulted in college. After college, I competed in bodybuilding, and eventually I found CrossFit.

I always had the idea that I wanted to own a gym.

But wanting something and fully taking responsibility for building it are two different things.

For years, CrossFit Viroqua existed, but it was not completely out on its own. It was not until 2020 that I finally made the decision to take CrossFit Viroqua out independently and truly build it into the business and community I believed it could become.

Looking back, that decision was a major turning point.

Was 2020 the easiest year to take a business out on its own?

Absolutely not.

There were plenty of reasons to wait.

There were plenty of reasons to be nervous.

There were plenty of things outside my control.

But at some point, you have to stop waiting for perfect conditions and decide to set the sail.

Taking the gym out on its own did not guarantee success. It simply gave me the responsibility and opportunity to direct it.

Then I had to become the kind of owner who could lead it.

One of My Best Choices Was Asking for Help

When I reflect on the decisions that helped CrossFit Viroqua grow, one of the best was investing in mentorship.

There is sometimes a belief that strong leaders should already have all the answers.

I have learned the opposite.

Strong leaders know when they need coaching.

Mentorship gave me outside perspective. It helped me see problems I was too close to recognize. It challenged me to think differently about leadership, systems, finances, member experience, staff development, and the long-term vision for the gym.

The mentor did not do the work for me.

The mentor helped me make better choices.

That distinction matters.

Coaching does not remove personal responsibility. Good coaching increases it. A coach helps you see what is possible, creates a plan with you, and then expects you to follow through.

I am proud of what CrossFit Viroqua has become, but I also know it did not happen because I had everything figured out.

It grew because I became willing to learn, change, ask for help, and make better decisions.

Reflection Should Lead Somewhere

Reflection is valuable, but only when it leads to direction.

You can spend years looking backward without ever changing where you are headed.

The purpose of reflection is not to live in regret. It is to gather information.

What worked?

What did not work?

Which decisions moved you closer to the person you want to become?

Which habits quietly pulled you away?

What did you say was important but repeatedly push to the side?

Where are you blaming circumstances when you actually need to make a decision?

The answers are not always comfortable.

But you cannot change what you refuse to examine.

Our 50-Year Vision

Each year, Morgan and I take a weekend together to reflect.

We look back at the previous year. We talk about what went well, what was difficult, what we learned, and what we would like to do differently.

Then we look forward.

We do not base the next year only on what feels urgent at the moment. We compare it to our 50-year vision.

What kind of life are we building?

What kind of marriage do we want?

What kind of parents do we want to be?

What kind of health do we want decades from now?

What kind of businesses do we want to operate?

What kind of impact do we want to have on our community?

When you think only about this week, almost everything feels urgent.

When you think about the next 50 years, your priorities become clearer.

You begin to realize that some things demanding your attention today have very little to do with the life you actually want.

You also realize that many of the small choices that seem insignificant today will eventually shape everything.

One workout does not transform your health.

One healthy meal does not change your life.

One conversation does not build a strong marriage.

One leadership decision does not create a successful organization.

But those decisions repeated over months, years, and decades determine your direction.

Your Life Is Always Reflecting Something

A reflecting pool shows what is standing in front of it.

Your life does something similar.

Your health reflects many of your repeated habits.

Your calendar reflects many of your priorities.

Your finances reflect many of your decisions.

Your relationships reflect the attention you have given them.

Your future will eventually reflect what you are consistently doing today.

That does not mean every result is your fault. It does mean you have more influence over your future than you may realize.

You may not be able to rewrite the beginning of your story, but you can make a different decision in the next chapter.

You can ask for help.

You can start exercising.

You can have the difficult conversation.

You can begin saving.

You can read the book.

You can find a mentor.

You can stop telling yourself that it is too late.

You can change the direction of your sail.

Take Time to Look Honestly

Here are a few questions worth sitting with:

What am I proud of from the past year?

Which choices created the best results in my life?

What am I continuing to tolerate that needs to change?

Where am I waiting for someone else to solve a problem that belongs to me?

What do I want my life to look like one year from now?

What do I want it to look like 10, 20, or 50 years from now?

What decision could I make today that would begin moving me in that direction?

You do not need to solve your entire life in one weekend.

You simply need to become honest about your current direction and courageous enough to adjust it.

You Do Not Have to Navigate Alone

Taking ownership of your life does not mean doing everything by yourself.

In fact, one of the strongest choices you can make is placing yourself around people who will encourage you, challenge you, and help you follow through.

That is what coaching has done for me as a business owner.

It is also what we work to provide at CrossFit Viroqua.

We are not simply giving people access to equipment and hoping they figure it out.

We provide leadership.

We provide coaching.

We help people begin at the right level, train with appropriate intensity, build consistency, and continue moving toward the life they want.

You still have to make the choice.

You still have to walk through the door.

You still have to do the work.

But you do not have to do it without a plan or without people beside you.

The winds will continue to change. Storms will come. Elections will happen. Jobs will change. Life will surprise us.

We cannot control all of it.