While cleaning out our attic recently, I came across a photo of me demonstrating a back squat. The kids noticed that I was wearing a New York Yankees shirt and asked what that was from. 

Back before YouTube, we had to use written materials with accompanying photos to demonstrate movements. This photo was for an off-season training manual we were creating for the incoming players. 

(And yes, the squat was below parallel. Check the photo for proof, ha!)

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with all sorts of professional athletes – those at the top of their game who came to me for help ascending to the next level. 

In every case, we used proven training principles that continue to stand the test of time:

1. SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand): Your body adapts to the exact stress you put it under.
2. MED (Minimum Effective Dose): The smallest input needed to see measurable progress.
3. FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Type, and Time): A formula to tailor a training plan to individual goals.

These work because they simplify the overwhelming and make growth sustainable. 

Last year, I had a realization that the very principles that allowed my athletes to achieve success are the same ones that work at home, with the family. 

Let me explain:

SAID: What’s the “demand” we’re putting on our family? I don’t mean challenges in the negative sense but rather intentional environments where growth happens. Are we creating opportunities for our kids to adapt to responsibilities, resilience, or respect? Families often grow stronger in response to the demands we impose—or neglect to impose. One of places that all parents can relate to: getting your kids involved in chores. If I want my son to begin mowing the lawn, I can’t expect that will happen if all he’s been doing is cleaning the pool. The challenge, or demand, has to be specific. 

MED: Tying into the above – I can’t expect my son to just one day pull out the mower, fire it up, and do it to the standard I’ve set. I need to break things down into manageable tasks. 

• Here is where the gas goes.

• Here is how to start the mower.

• Here is how to turn it around and keep a straight line.

• Here is how to avoid the sprinkler heads. 

This one’s liberating. You don’t need to do it all; you just need to do enough. When I stopped having an expectation of perfection and focused on the smallest consistent actions, everything changed. 

Maybe it’s a 10-minute family prayer at bedtime or a weekly “date” with your kids. 

Maybe it’s mowing the lawn or putting the dishes away every day. 

As my Pastor frequently says: “Small things done over a long period of time are going to produce great results.”

FITT: Leadership at home requires intention. You have to put in the reps. Showing how to mow once is a recipe for disaster and tears. Ask yourself: 

• How often do I need to teach this? (Frequency). 

• Am I distracted, with phone in hand, while teaching? (Intensity). 

• What kind of quality time are we prioritizing? (Type). 

• And how much time am I carving out for these moments? (Time).

These principles create a structure for us to lead with clarity and focus, rather than winging it.

The lesson is simple: greatness doesn’t just happen. It’s built, step by step, through small, repeated efforts. And the same is true for leading at home.

If you feel like your family life is being pulled in a hundred directions, maybe it’s time to borrow a page from the athlete’s playbook. Start small, stay consistent, and trust the process.

Which of these principles resonates with you most? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear how you’re applying them at home.