Hello and welcome to the Aligned Achiever podcast. I’m your host, Siobhan Barnes, and today we’re going in a slightly different direction. So I thought that I would share something a little bit personal that’s been happening in my personal life. And don’t worry, this does translate to career purpose and all those good things, and it also speaks to this recent trend that I think I’m not alone in.

But I recently completed something that, honestly, I never thought was something that I myself would do, and that is I completed in my first Hyrox race. Hyrox doubles, women’s to be precise. Now, if you don’t know what Hyrox is, it’s a global fitness race that you can see in many different cities around the world, and it combines functional workouts with running. So think sled pushes wall balls, burpees, broad jumps, mixed in with one kilometer runs in between. It’s pretty intense. It’s very physical, and as I discovered it’s deeply mental. 

So this episode isn’t really about fitness, though. It’s really about identity and mindset and the soul work that comes up when we choose to do something hard. So whether you’re facing a career change or a career pivot, or you’re questioning your purpose, or you’re simply feeling the call to evolve. This episode is for you, and I promise you it will make sense when I talk through it. 

So why am I talking about Hyrox?

I honestly decided that I would do something hard every year when I heard, I believe it was Sarah Blakely, her husband, talk about this, I didn’t think I was going to win or even do super well. I simply signed up because I wanted to push my edge, and also, very transparently, I don’t think I would have pushed my edge unless my gym buddies encouraged me to do so and actually signed up and bought tickets and said, Come on, let’s go. I was on the fence for ages, so that confluence of events, but there was something inside me. I don’t know if it was curiosity or it was a part of me that still feels like I want to take on a challenge that said, “Come on, let’s do it. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

But under that and that desire to just give it a try was also fear, like, what if I’m not strong enough? What if I can’t finish and what if I completely embarrass myself? And it really made me reflect so many women that I coach feel the same way about their careers. They want something more, something purposeful, something more meaningful, but the fear of failing or not being enough holds them back.

And I’ll tell you the honest truth, I think most women actually don’t go ahead and do something with their careers, because they’re worried about, well, what if I fail?

And, you know, obviously we don’t want to admit that we have that part of us, that egoic side, that does worry about what other people think. But it’s true, and I’m hand on heart, I struggle with that as well, particularly with Hyrox in another realm.

So when I started my training, I certainly did not feel like an athlete. And in all honesty, when we checked into the event and it says, like athletes check in, I had a little giggle, because I’m like, Oh my gosh, this is not me. I told myself stories at the beginning, like, I’m not super competitive. I’m not really built for this kind of thing.

But week after week, as you know, I continued my regular gym training and started to do a few longer, Hyrox specific workouts on a Sunday, as I showed up, those stories began to shift. And here’s what I realized; we take small, tiny actions into a new identity. We take small, tiny actions into a new identity. Now, truth be told, I do not identify as an athlete. That’s certainly not an identity that I feel confident saying, but I do feel like I have the identity of somebody who is willing to give competitive sports a go.

And it’s not about feeling ready. It’s not about, you know, feeling like you feel it 100% and you own it, right? It’s really in this transition. It’s really about committing, showing up and let your letting your identity catch up with your actions.

And the same thing applies when you want to pivot careers or step into leadership. You don’t become the kind of woman who can fill in the dots by waiting, you become her through practice.

And that’s something that I realized in doing the practice sessions. I realized, oh, this this particular workout or this particular format, huh, it’s not as hard as I thought it was going to be. So that was such a great identity shift to say, “Oh, actually, you know what I can do this. I can do hard things.”

Now the event itself, this is when my mindset was actually in motion and in action. And on race day, my goodness, the energy, the nerves, the self doubt. I felt there was a moment pushing that heavy sled where my body was like, really, really pushing, and my brain was screaming, why did you do this? Like, why did you sign up? And honestly, the only thing that got me through was reminding myself, you’re already doing it. You’re doing it. This is a duo. Give it your best, just keep going. And this is what mindset work looks like in the moment.

I didn’t do affirmations on a post it. It’s actually mindset is really about how you respond to that voice that says, Stop, or like, Oh my god. Why are you even here? Or you’re not good enough that inner conversation. I hope I’m not alone in feeling that it’s the same one I see play out when women are preparing to quit their jobs, negotiate new roles, or design lives that actually fit with them. And so learning to dialog with your mind is really, really important.

One thing that really got me through the race was just saying, this is just another workout. This is just a harder workout. This is two workouts back to back with the running and the strength stuff and just reframing, visualizing and dialoguing with my mind to make it not such a big thing, made it easier. You know, in those moments where you’re doing something difficult, you can either choose to focus on the pain, the fear, the very real, hard thing that you’re going through, or you can redirect and learn to say things like, my body loves a challenge, or I adapt really well to this, or all my training is more than enough, and I’ve got enough, you know, fitness, to be able to get through this.

And it’s the same thing when we’re looking at our jobs, we have to really talk to ourselves positively, to say, if I can be successful in one area, I can be successful in another, I own the expertise that I have. I am enough as I am. I deserve to live a life that actually works for me and that allows me to pay my bills.

You know, like you, when you have that in a dialog, you start to show up for yourself. So the lessons that I’m taking with me from Hyrox, I’ve got four big ones here, and they’ve taught me so much more than I expected. And in all honesty, these lessons I am bringing back with me into business, because, you know, different areas of your life, and kind of breaking the mold in one area makes it easier to break the mold in another. And the one thing that I really think is important is going back to that identity piece.

So Lesson One is, identity is fluid.

You don’t need to be an athlete to do Hyrox. You don’t have to be creative to start a creative business. You don’t have to be a leader before you actually lead a team. You become that person through the doing.

So as I said, athlete is not a word that I would use to describe myself, but I would say I am a exerciser. I am a gym goer, right? Like and that identity is something that I have most certainly worked towards. Because if you asked me three years ago when I started this gym journey, I would be a person that said, I don’t do the gym. I don’t like that. I like to play team sports. I will do some running, but I’m not a gym goer, and it has amazed me how much through changing my identity and what I tell myself, both from an identity perspective and a mindset perspective, how my actions and behaviors have also changed.

So you know, it’s now very normal for me when I’m on holiday to actually want to exercise, to bring my gym kit and be like, Okay, well, how can I do a workout here? Where is the nearest gym? Because I want to feel strong.

Lesson two, progress isn’t linear.

There are good days, there are bad days, there are I want to quit days, and every single one of those days counts. So, you know, after Hyrox, I was like, flat on my back, came back with a bit of a cold, wasn’t feeling very well. You could probably hear a little bit of it in my voice, still and you know, that’s okay. That’s part of the resting journey. And so just knowing that you don’t have to follow this perfect plan, you know, to have your unbroken streak, to be, you know, successful. There are good days, there are bad days, there are I want to quit days, or there are days to, like, maybe lean into a bit more rest. And that is okay. What really matters is that you’re making progress in general, and you’re listening to your body and moving forward.

Lesson three is that mindset is a muscle, just like going to the gym, like those wobbles to practice, just like physical strength.

Mindset strength comes from consistent training, especially in discomfort, and it comes from catching yourself in those moments when you want to go down that spiral that tells you you’re not enough, or, you know, takes you down that path where you self flagellate, right? Like mindset is a muscle. We have to practice it. And again, I’m with you in this. You know, with exercise, it’s become easier and easier, but there are absolutely other areas of my life while I’m still practicing this, but once you do it in one area, you can do it in another.

The fourth lesson that I think is really important and very underrated is that you don’t have to go it alone.

Support is critical, whether it’s a coach, a friend or a training partner. It makes all. The difference. And in all honesty, it makes the experience so much sweeter. Maybe one day I will do High Rock singles, I don’t know, but doing Hyrox doubles with my partner was so much fun. And doing it actually, we went to Thailand. So I actually got on a plane, went to Bangkok and did this thing, you know, doing it with another there were a few other gym friends that went along like that, just made the experience so much more fun, and it makes all the difference. I honestly wouldn’t have enjoyed the training as much. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the experience as much if I had gone on my own. And huge shout out to the gym that I go to in Hong Kong, Pherform all of the trainers there, the community, the programming. There is no way that I could get to this level of fitness without them.

And so I think that’s another blind spot for us as women. We so often feel like we have to go it alone. We have to do it alone. We have to know how to do it. And the truth is, look, of course, you can do workouts on YouTube, right? There is so much out there. Knowledge is not the problem, right? We have everything that we want at our fingertips, and increasingly, we’ll have more of this, right with AI, it could probably create a custom plan for you, but where the real enjoyment and the rubber meets the road for me is like actually having the experience and doing it with others, right?

Because at the end of the day, it’s as cheesy as it sounds, it’s the journey, right, not the destination. And for me, like working out in community, doing it with friends, it and, you know, existing friends and like new friends, and I’m sure other new friends that I’m yet to meet, it just makes it so much sweeter.

So why am I sharing all of this on the podcast? Because this is the work.

Whether you’re training for a race, maybe you’re doing a Hyrox and you’re jumping on this bandwagon alongside me, or maybe you’re reimagining your career, the same themes show up. Who do I believe that I am? What stories do I need to release? What’s worth doing, even when it’s hard?

Hyrox gave me a physical mirror to see where I still play small, where I still doubt, and also where I’m stronger than I thought. And I want that for you too, whether your version of Hyrox is a pivot, a purpose project or a bold new beginning.

So I’ll leave you with this two questions for you to ponder:

Where are you still acting from an old identity that no longer fits?

Are you saying I am too old to do such and such? Are you acting from a place of indifference? Are you acting from a place of doubt? Are you acting from a place of I’m this. I’m a lawyer, so I can’t change or I’m an artist, and I’m not strategic. You know, what is that identity that no longer fits?

And once you’ve identified that, then what version of you are you becoming?

Now, one decision at a time, one micro step at a time. If this sparks something for you, I would love to hear it. Please DM me on Instagram or email me. Let’s keep the conversation going.

And if you’re ready to explore your next step, send me an email. I’ll send you more details on the Pivot Pathfinders program. It’s my signature program for professional women walking this exact path to figure out what that next pivot is, and I can’t wait to see how you go with your own challenge, your own journey, wherever you are.

Until next time, keep choosing the soul work, even if it looks like a sled push. You’ve absolutely got this. And as always, you’re here for a reason beyond merely hustling, grinding or merely surviving, you matter.