Be Yourself

Something that's important for me to keep in mind as a Personal Trainer is that my goals are not my clients' goals. Yes, some people want to do Mud Runs; some people want their body fat % in the teens; a few people even enjoy Burpee, Push Up & Pull Up challenges and pushing themselves to their max.

But, most people just want to look & feel good without changing their daily habits or pushing themselves too much. I know this. And, I must adjust my programs accordingly.

It's also important for me to keep in mind that other people—my family, friends, even successful people in my field—have goals that I don't need to have. Just because I respect someone, doesn't mean I need to do what they're doing.

We teach kids "just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should do it too". This usually refers to something they shouldn't be doing. But, it really applies to everything.

Sometimes we get caught up in a great idea, but just because something is a great idea doesn't mean it's a great idea for us to pursue. I fell into this trap last year. I started to pursue a bunch of "good ideas" that other people were engaged in, but found myself spread too thin. I needed to step back and focus on what was my best next step.

You're probably spread too thin. You're time is valuable. Make sure you're spending it on things that are best for you.

Let yourself be motivated by others, but think hard about what you really want and your plan for achieving it.  It's important to set goals, but make sure they're your goals—they fit into your life, your priorities, and your plan for the future. 

Completing an Ironman is a great goal. But, if one of your top priorities is putting in extra hours at work to get a promotion, training for an Ironman isn't a good goal for you right now.

Volunteering for a non-profit group is a very nice thing to do. But, if the organization you approach is looking for you to commit to being somewhere at the same time each week, and you have kids with busy sports' schedules, it isn't a good fit for you.

You get the point.

As Oscar Wilde said, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." :)