II. Nick Byom from Strength Academy Defining: A Life Well Lived

In no way, do I believe that I have the truest or most useful definition of a “life well-lived.” If you were to ask me this question even one year ago, my answer would likely be much different. I have seen numerous career, geographic, personal relationship, and value system changes over the past 10 years of my life as I continually test my theory of what will provide true meaning in my life and the lives of others. At times, I’ve been very wrong about what I thought would be fulfilling to me. In those moments, it has been important to admit to myself that I was wrong and make a change (sometimes a drastic one). Therefore, please consider the following opinions a snapshot in time of my concept of a “life well lived.” 

My name is Nick Byom. My wife, Tara Byom, and I own and operate Strength Academy, a class-based fitness gym in River Falls, WI. This gym, which opened 7 months ago, is a massive step towards finding personal fulfillment in this life. At this point in time, I consider a “life well lived” to simply be a collection of “days well lived.” While I am still unsure of many of the elements and accomplishments that will be necessary for me to review my life as “well-lived,” I will outline two that I am almost positive to be vital for my own daily fulfillment.

1.    AUTONOMY– While I have never considered myself particularly rebellious or non-traditional, I have found increasing fulfillment and pride in being autonomous in my work. As I progressed through the traditional path of high school student, college student, and finally employee, I became increasingly more frustrated with the rules associated with those structures. I did not enjoy having a set work time. I did not enjoy being told what to do and how to do it. I did not enjoy the idea of getting my life back at the age of 60. For a long time, I considered these to be lazy thoughts. I was very self-critical for not being more disciplined and not being as organized and driven as my peers. It took me years to adjust to the idea that I wasn’t lazy, just not motivated by the traditional work structure. Strength Academy has provided me the opportunity to rely solely on myself (and my wife) to define what success really means. This has been by far the most scary and difficult part of becoming a business owner, but also the most rewarding. It’s been said that your business works on you more than you work on it and I’ve found that to be as true as any experience I’ve ever had. Starting the gym has forced me to be decisive, to trust myself, and to come to terms with making mistakes. These are lessons that I doubt, I would have learned so quickly being in a traditional work structure. They are not easy lessons to learn, but they come with an insane amount of pride when the dust settles. I get to walk into the gym each and every day, look around, and know that everything from the logo, to the bolts in the wall, to the chalk dust left by the members all exist because we trusted ourselves. That feeling of pride and ownership will always be worth the risks we had to take to achieve what we now have.  

2.     COMMUNITY/HELPING OTHERS – While everybody has different needs for social interaction, I think it is difficult, if not impossible to have a completely fulfilled life without finding your tribe. The most fulfilling experiences in my life have always been related to being a part of community with shared value systems. When we created Strength Academy, this was a number 1 priority. Owning the gym not only allows us to participate in a positive, personal development focused community, but it gives us the ability to shape and define what that community looks and feels like. We have both the responsibility and the gift of creating a culture that we would want to be a part of. Competitiveness, personal responsibility, unrelenting work ethic, and support of our peers are a few of the important elements that we try to instill in the community. We do this through the energy and focus we bring each day to our work, the people we carefully select to hire, and the actions from others that we choose to reward. As the gym has grown, we have seen our coaches follow through in progressing this culture, and most importantly we have seen our veteran members begin to teach and lead newer members. There is no better, more fulfilling feeling than seeing our community band together, taking both responsibility for and pride in, the success of those training alongside them. It’s one of those surreal experiences that people rarely discuss but we are all in constant search of. A feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves. Helping others to achieve a better life is often heralded as a self-less endeavor, however I consider it to be one of the most selfish things I do. Knowing that the work we do helps others to improve and more thoroughly enjoy their lives makes it easy for me to sleep at night knowing that at least that day was “well-lived.”

If you take anything away from this long-winded vetting of my own thoughts on the philosophy of life, I hope that you understand the importance of ACTION in pursuing a “life well lived.” Despite the temporary joy that many of us receive from learning, thinking, and writing about our beliefs, fulfillment does not come from philosophizing about a great life, but pursuing one. If you’re feeling stuck, frustrated, or beaten down by the monotony of life; know that action is the only way out of those feelings. You’ll never know for sure how to live the perfect life, but if you have a hunch, take action in that direction. Even if you are wrong, you can then course correct and try again. Start with today. Today changes tomorrow and tomorrow changes every day thereafter. So, stop reading and start acting. Can you make today “well-lived?”