And the Buzzword of the week is…. “Tribes”, no that was last week.  “Communities”, or is it “Cohorts”?  Oh who am I kidding I love sports and I’m writing the blog so I’m going with “Teams”.  Whatever you want to call it they are one in the same in my mind.  A group of like-minded individuals working together for a common cause or goal.

Teams can be an extremely powerful tool in helping you achieve success.  I think there’s an old saying ‘two heads are better than one’ or something along those lines.  I recently witnessed how powerful joining a team can be in my own life.

Ever since going off to college my workout habits have been less than stellar.  It was so easy as a kid with sports.  Workouts came in the form of practices and games.  I always had a team helping me succeed.

Now though, my team is gone and it’s just me.  Nobody is forcing me to go to practice or the gym.  I’ve struggled ever since with turning my workout into a routine. 

Four months ago I decided it was time to seek out a team for help.  I signed up for Orange Theory Fitness.  Right from the start I thought this might be the golden ticket as I had found a group of like-minded individuals with the same goal of getting and staying in shape.  

I now workout the same time each day with the same group of people.  I know if I miss a class I’ll catch an ear full from my instructor and fellow team members the next time around.  I’ve been going steady for almost 4 months now with no plans of quitting. 

I know the team was key to my success and I believe it can apply to any situation.  It can provide the following:

  • Accountability – Let the team know what your goal is.  You’ll be amazed how many servant leaders are out there who will hold you to it and help you succeed.
  • Support – You are bound to run into roadblocks, the key is how you handle it.  Do you work through it or become frustrated and give up.  Within a team you can always find someone whose faced the same challenge.  They can help guide you through and keep you moving forward.
  • Motivation – There will always be days where you want to quit early or not start at all.  A team will be there to give you the necessary nudge to start, keep going, or finish.  

If you are learning a new skill or trying to develop a habit I encourage you to seek out a team.  You’ll be amazed at what is possible when working together with a group of like-minded individuals. I’m sure many of you out there have already experienced the success of joining a team.  I’d love to hear about your experience and why the team was so powerful for you.

Disclaimer:  Dan Deterding is the youngest son of Mark.  He has decided to join the “TLS Blogging Team” and will be contributing twice a month.  You can follow him on Twitter @DanDeterding.