Today I want to tell you the story of why our gym is called 212 Fitness. It’s my hope this story motivates you to push through any challenges you are currently facing. Although many of you already know why the gym is named 212 Fitness, but I really think there’s something in this post for you as well and hope you take the time to read it!
I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 2009 after 4 years of service and two deployments, including one combat deployment as a Scout Sniper team leader. Upon my re-entry into the civilian workforce I quickly found that the skills I had developed in the Marine Corps infantry didn’t translate well into most professions. Additionally, there were not a lot of job openings in 2009 due to the recession that began in the fall of 2008. It was incredibly challenging going from being elite in my profession to struggling to find a career that would work for me. Luckily, I had met the love of my life, Jamie, shortly after leaving the miliary. She gave me support and always believed in me from the day we met. We were married in late 2009 and I was blessed to find work with a remodeling company, which is all the more incredible given the state of the housing market in 2009.
The work I performed was tough, manual labor that some people may have looked down on or thought was beneath them. There were days where I was literally digging ditches. However, I’ve never been one to shy away from hard work and I was grateful for the opportunity to bring home a paycheck. I don’t want to sound like I thought I was too good for any of the work I did, but it definitely wasn’t what I thought I would be doing after excelling in the Marine Corps. Jamie and I were also very busy adjusting to life as a married couple. A lot of work goes into learning to live with another person, and we were stretched to the max like so many newly married couples. Like anyone else, we found it tough to motivate ourselves to work on additional projects after our long days at work. However, we had read a motivational book by a company called Simple Truths called “The 212 Difference”. The book outlines that at 211 degrees water is hot, but at 212 degrees it boils and steam is produced, which is used in power plants to create the electricity that powers our lives. The point is that one degree makes all the difference. Small amounts of effort can make a huge difference. Whenever Jamie and I needed a boost after a long day of work, we would look at each other and say “Time to steam!”.
Fast forward to 2012 when we decided to open our own small fitness studio. It was my job to come up with a name, and I was struggling- which shouldn’t come as a surprise since I am not a creative person. I was racking my brain trying to come up with a name that would work. I wanted to create an environment where people were encouraged to work hard and obtain the results they were seeking, but none of the names I tried felt like a fit. One night after dinner, I had to amp myself up again to work on a name so of course I said “Time to steam” and there it was! 212 Fitness. It was perfect! The smallest amount of effort in your workouts can make a huge difference in the results you see. Pushing one extra degree in your nutrition makes your hard choices into habits that come naturally.
I still strongly believe the 212 mentality is critical for goal achievement. When we opened 212 on New Year’s Eve of 2012, the 212 mentality meant effort and intensity in the workouts. It was all about being able to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. This is still important, but over the years I’ve realized that the 212 mentality is even more important when it comes to your mindset. Making progress is hard, and we’re going to be uncomfortable if we truly want to change. However, if we stay at 211, are we really going to see the change we want?
Where can you push one extra degree? Is it building the habit of showing up for your workouts? Maybe it’s putting in the effort to say yes to a healthy food instead of a less healthy option. It could be putting in the work to nurture a relationship that’s taking unnecessary energy and negatively affecting your goals.
Remember, the 212 mentality doesn’t mean you come into the gym and push yourself to the breaking point. The 212 mentality means getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s putting forth that one extra degree of effort that will get you to your goal, even when it’s the last thing you want to do. In fact, especially when it’s the last thing you want to do.
One degree makes all the difference!
