Consider The Unexpected Path

Each year we have an opportunity to start with an open mind.

Are New Year’s resolutions crap? Every year we talk about them, yet very few of us follow through. According to Dr. Michelle Rozen, aka The Change Doctor, only 6% of us follow through on our resolutions.

Beyond the power of inertia and not having a personal coach, I’d bet a big reason for such paltry follow though is simply because our resolutions are too complicated.

I set a fitness goal each year. Of late, they’ve been things like “run 600 miles” or “run and bike a total of 1,000 miles.” To some, they aren’t big enough. For others, they are too big. For me, they are typically the right size. They’re big enough to require discipline and sustained effort, yet manageable for a normal guy with other priorities. This year, I was inspired during a recent workout on my Hydrow.

I “finalized” my New Year’s resolutions for 2025 a little over a week ago. I was on my Hydrow doing a 30-minute circuit with Manteo Mitchell. I had already resolved to severely cut back on alcohol and was five days into Dry January. Plus, I decided to row 450,000 meters this year. Then, Manteo sparked another “resolution": I will consider the unexpected path if it’s presented.

Beyond being one of Hydrow’s prime circuit trainers, Mitchell is a former track & field Olympian and American bobsledder. In the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Manteo won the silver medal in the 4x400 relay after breaking his fibula during the qualifying race.

While guiding us virtual Hydrowers through his personalized workout, Manteo inspired us to keep an open mind.

Nearly a decade after the London games, he received a call from Aron McGuire, CEO of United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. McGuire encouraged him to try bobsled.

On my Hydrow screen, he joked about not even knowing what bobsled is. Can you blame him? He is a sprinter from North Carolina. There probably aren’t that many bobsled tracks in North Carolina.

Yet, this wasn’t a call from just any person. Beyond being the CEO of US Bobsled, Manteo already knew McGuire from his prior role at US Track and Field. He trusted him presumably. So, he was likely open to his salvo to try bobsled.

Now, Mitchell is an American bobsledder. His eyes are set on the 2026 Winter Olympics. As you might expect, he wants to medal. If he does, he’d become the seventh person to medal in both the summer and winter games. Truly rare air! Plus, he’d become the first person of color to do so. Truly rarer air!

While pushing, sweating, and listening, one key thing Manteo said stood out. He referred to himself as a fitness & health professional. Sure, he also called himself a sprinter and bobsledder, but merely saying fitness pro was key. It is a far broader umbrella. It gives him license to operate in a variety of paths. It makes it easier for him to consider additional routes along the same career journey.

After hearing his story, I decided to keep my last “resolution” super simple. I will be open to the unexpected path, should it arise. If I receive a call from someone I trust asking me to consider a path, I will listen. I will ponder it, seriously.

You might say, “That doesn’t sound like much of a resolution, Paul.” Maybe. Here’s a few reasons why it makes sense for me and might for you too.

First, it’s simple. I don’t have all the data. My intuition says that many people fail with resolutions because they are way too complicated or unrealistic. Guess what, that’s what some of the data says too.

We create long, impossible lists. We’ve doomed ourselves before even starting. Embrace K.I.S.S. (i.e. - Keep It Simple Stupid) my friends. Saying you will be open to change is pretty simple.

Second, it challenges your ability to have a growth mindset. This resolution is all about openness. It’s about listening. It’s about self-reflection. If someone calls you saying they’d love for you to join them, it is more than just flattering. It could be the right way for you to forge that next career step.

It will require you to assess not only the person with the suggestion, but also whether it might fit you. It will require you to consider if you are ready for change. This is a huge challenge. Oftentimes we cannot see past what we are currently doing.

Third, it requires you to address fear. You will have to address the fear of being a rookie, a newbie on new turf. Any new path is scary. Yet, sometimes the growth on that path is far better for us than sticking with the current one.

Who would have guessed my Hydrow would help me identify a New Year’s resolution? I’m just paying for it to make me fit!

To close, I decided to write a simple mantra to remember for 2025. Here it is…

When the call comes I will listen.
Maybe a new path will glisten.
I will embrace my fear
And take the time to hear.
'Cause maybe it's the right position.

So, go forth. Forge your a path worthy of an Olympian this year. Remember, you do not have all the answers. We need people we trust to push us. We need to be committed to being open. We need to embrace our fears. That’s how we can go after big things like Manteo Mitchell.

Thanks for reading!

Paul G Fisher