Bound Newsletter 6.22.2025
Being vs. Becoming: How to Create the Mindset of the Person You Want to Be
There’s a quiet but powerful shift that happens when you stop obsessing over “becoming” someone—and instead start living as the person you want to be.
Most of us spend our lives chasing the next version of ourselves. We say things like:
“I want to become more disciplined.”
“One day I’ll be confident.”
“I’m trying to become healthier.”
It’s always something out there—some future version of ourselves we haven’t caught up to yet. And while growth and improvement are vital, this mindset can also create a constant feeling of lack, distance, and delay.
The Problem with Always “Becoming”
If you're always becoming, you're never being. You live in a loop of “not yet good enough”. You tie your identity to the goal rather than the action. And that can lead to:
Self-doubt when progress is slow
Burnout from chasing perfection
Paralysis because the gap between now and “someday” feels overwhelming
The mindset of becoming often assumes that who you are right now isn’t enough. But what if you could flip the script?
The Power of Being
When you shift your focus to being—you act in alignment with the identity you want to embody. Instead of waiting until you “arrive,” you show up now. You ask yourself:
“What does a disciplined person do today?”
“How would a confident version of me respond in this moment?”
“What choices would a healthy person make for breakfast?”
This isn’t fake it 'til you make it. It’s live it 'til it sticks. When you align daily actions with your desired identity, you stop chasing and start becoming through doing. You are that person—not tomorrow, but right now.
How to Build a “Being” Mindset
Here are three simple ways to shift from becoming to being:
1. Define Who You Want to Be with Clarity
Pick three traits that represent the kind of person you want to be—disciplined, joyful, courageous, consistent, etc. Don’t define them by the outcome (e.g., “I want a six-pack”), define them by the process (“I take care of my body daily”).
2. Act in Alignment Daily
Ask: What does someone like that do today?
Then do it. Small choices made repeatedly are more powerful than big goals delayed. Habits build identity far more than declarations do.
3. Talk to Yourself Differently
Drop “I’m trying to become…” and start saying “I am…”
“I am someone who moves their body every day.”
“I am a person who keeps promises to myself.”
“I am disciplined in the small things.”
Your brain listens to the words you use. Speak like the person you already are.
Final Thoughts
Becoming is natural. Growth is necessary. But don’t let your life become a permanent waiting room for a better version of you.
You don’t have to wait to be who you want to be. You can be that person through your actions, your words, and your choices—starting today.
Remember: You don’t find your identity. You build it—one decision at a time.
New Members
- Greg Dafini
- Peter Wiggin
- Chris Franklin
Bragging Board:
Trevor Maloney and his team came in First place at the Atlantic Coast Classic (again!)
Dylan Porter achieved 2x Bar Muscle Ups!
Upcoming Anniversary and Birthdays
Anniversaries:
2-year
-Ryan Boone June 21
4-year
-Ryan Kangiser June 23
Birthdays
-Isaac Diaz June 21
-Ashton Phillips June 24
-Stanford Garey June 25
-Michelle McCrary June 25
Class Updates, Schedule Changes, Events, Etc…
Mini Movers/Junior Jumpers Class Canceled on June 26
July 4th - we will host one class at 8 am
Melanie Venable has put together a ‘team’ for the upcoming Savage Race. The team is called ‘FRIENDS BOUND’
Need a training plan to get ready Bound Endurance is implementing a 5K program for this summer. 2 Days a week of running.
Helen Holiday Half & 10K Race - December 13, 2025
CrossFit Journal Article of the Week: BURST VS. SUSTAINABLE POWER: WHY CROSSFIT TRAINS BOTH TYPES OF STRENGTH
By Stephane Rochet, CF-L3
In response to a recent article, a loyal reader commented that if intensity were truly power, CrossFit athletes should be jumping much more than they do. I interpreted this to mean that if intensity is power, then CrossFit athletes should jump much higher than they do as an expression of their power output.
Regardless of what the reader actually meant, the comment reminded me of Lon Kilgore’s article “The Most Powerful Human Being in the Entire Universe,” where he explained the difference between “burst” power and “sustainable” power. There’s a difference, and people often confuse the two when discussing CrossFit and intensity or power.
BURST POWER
According to Kilgore, burst power is “the ability to produce large single efforts of work in very short periods of time.” Examples of burst power include a max vertical jump, a max clean and jerk, or snatch.
Power is equal to work (weight moved x distance moved) divided by the time it takes to move. So to demonstrate increased power in a vertical, we need to jump higher (given the same bodyweight).
In the snatch or clean and jerk, the distance moved and the time it takes to accomplish the lift are pretty much constant, so the path to increased power output in the Olympic lifts is lifting increased weight. To jump higher and snatch or clean more requires that we apply greater force into the ground quickly. That makes strength (including proper technique) a big component of increasing our burst power output. If we want to maximize our burst power, we should train almost exclusively with heavy and fast lifts, plyometrics, and sprints as an Olympic lifter does.
SUSTAINABLE POWER
Sustainable power “is the ability to carry out lots of work in a longer, sustained period of time.” Here, we’re looking at how much work can be completed per unit of time. CrossFit time- and task-priority workouts are great examples of this.
In task-priority workouts, the goal is to complete the task as quickly as possible, with a faster time yielding a higher power output.
In a time-priority workout, the goal is to complete as much work as possible within a given amount of time, with the higher work total in that time yielding a greater power output. To demonstrate this, sustainable power output not only requires a foundation of strength (with technique) but also capacity across all 10 general physical skills.
To paraphrase Kilgore, comparing the burst power of a big clean and jerk with the sustainable power of Helen is like comparing oranges and lemons. There are definite similarities, but they are trained in different ways. Regardless, as CrossFit athletes, we want both. We want big lifts and fast met-cons. We’re also not willing to specialize in one type of power to the complete detriment of the other type. We don’t want a 40-inch vertical if it means we can’t even complete Fight Gone Bad. Developing both burst power and sustainable power simultaneously provides us with the broad, general, and inclusive fitness we need to support real-world occupations or sports.
We improve our burst power through dedicated heavy days. Multiple sets of low reps on big, compound movements, such as deadlifts, squats, and presses, build the strength that directly contributes to our burst power. This is one major reason why workouts such as 5×5 back squats, 10×1 clean and jerks, or 8×3 presses are staples of CrossFit programming.
As we increase our strength, we also improve our endurance, and consequently, our sustainable power. As we become stronger, we build a strength reserve, allowing us to operate at a lower percentage of our maximum capacity. Everyone feels fatigued in a met-con. But if my max thruster is 250 lb instead of 115 lb, then, as I work through Fran, I am calling upon much less of my total capacity to get the job done, and my body is better able to handle this demand and keep going.
This is endurance in action. Still, strength is only one part of the equation. In addition to heavy days, classic CrossFit met-cons that use lighter loads and fast work rates improve our cardiorespiratory endurance and stamina. These workouts enhance our ability to consume and utilize oxygen, as well as increase the quantity and utilization of energy substrates in our muscles, allowing us to work longer and harder.
The combination of strength days and high-intensity met-cons, delivered in an unlimited variety of combinations, makes CrossFit a unique strength and conditioning program, singularly adept at developing both burst and sustainable power. Ultimately, these two types of power blend to determine our work capacity across broad time and modal domains, or our fitness, and we draw on both as needed to conquer any challenge, adventure, sport, or mission that crosses our path.
Here’s a 5 Day High Protein - Low Carb Family Meal Plan to follow
Simple - easy to follow - PDF below
Short Outline:
Goal: High in protein, low in carbs, easy for families to prep and enjoy
Meals Per Day: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Optional Snack
Macros Focus:
Protein: chicken, beef, eggs, fish, turkey
Low-carb veggies: spinach, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers
Healthy fats: olive oil, avocado, nuts
Carbs limited to non-starchy veggies, occasional berries
Example Day:
Day 1
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and feta
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad with avocado and olive oil dressing
Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted cauliflower and garlic green beans
Snack (Optional): Greek yogurt (unsweetened) with chia seeds and a few raspberries
