There's no I in Team

When was the last time you were part of a team? Was it at work? Were you at sports practice? Did you work in a group on a group assignment? How did it make you feel to be part of a team? Did it make you feel invigorated, energetic, and excited? If not, then did it make you feel frustrated, annoyed, and agitated?

Normally, I prefer to work alone. I didn't have much success working in teams growing up. I was the person who was stuck doing at least 90% of the group work. It was frustrating to know that my group received the same credit for doing maybe 10% of the work. Even though I learned more from awful group experiences, it is something I do not wish upon anyone.

Recently, my perception of teamwork has changed. Did I finally comprehend the theoretical conceptualization behind teamwork? No, that happened a long time ago. What I finally realized is that not everyone will always work successfully together. When different personalities are brought into the equation, conflict is bound to arise. Heck, who am I kidding?! I already knew that, too.

The truth is that it took a special person to change my perception of teamwork. My boy friend and I have a goal to be physically fit; we want to live a long, prosperous life together. To do this, we have committed to working out 5 times per week. There are days when he is not motivated and vice versa. On the days we don't feel like going, we can come up with every excuse in the book. Instead, we drag ourselves to the gym and work out.When we're at the gym, we push each other. Sometimes, I don't want to continue because I am pushing myself harder than I ever did in gym class. Other times, his knee bothers him; I keep him motivated.

Through this bonding experience, I have realized the importance of teamwork. We challenge each other and push the other to his or her limit. We pound the fist when we accomplish our work out goals. After all is said and done, I now know that it takes team work to be successful at the gym and in every area of my life.