I was never ‘great’ at maths, all my life. I’m a wordsmith with a great imagination for literature and creative writing, if you’re interested.
BUT – Maths to me was (very often) was like learning hieroglyphics!
And that’s not great when you’re trying to run a gym business. You see, after years, the coaching becomes the easy part. 10,000 hours and all that.
As a result, I stuck my head in the sand for too long, avoiding the PAIN of looking at numbers (the language of business). Think, wetting your finger and holding it in the air, wondering which way the wind was blowing. That was me.
So it’s no wonder the gym ‘bobbled’ along for years, never reaching the heights I sensed it could.
But then things had to change. So I hired a coach to guide me. I began looking at data. I checked the numbers, here and there. And gradually, I become more adept.
Dare I say it – I actually began to ENJOY looking at a spreadsheet.
And perhaps it’s no coincidence that me becoming a ‘better’ gym owner meant the gym began to flourish! (Surely, a connection, right?)
OK, but how does this relate to you and your health and fitness?
Well, humans will always move towards PLEASURE and away from PAIN. For a period anyway (hours, days, weeks, even years) before eventually biting the bullet and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.
Some may NEVER take that step but that’s a post for another day!
OK – back to you and your health.
How easy is it, to NOT give our health and fitness the best chance we can?
How easily can we create reasons NOT to start, NOT to turn up, NOT to be consistent?
- The time isn’t right? (Is there ever a best time?)
- I want to get fit first before starting
- Everyone will be better than me
- I’ll be the biggest and slowest
- I can’t afford it
- I’ll hold everyone back
- I’ve never enjoyed exercise, never will
- etc, etc, etc…..
We see many people who – after years – take the step to finally get in touch to begin their journey. And they report regretting not starting WAY back when the thought first crossed their mind.
We appreciate that everyone will have ‘that time’ when they’re ready to really prioritise their health and fitness. It can take months or years. But the reality is we often avoid the pain of just starting.
There’s something incredibly powerful in ‘just starting’. Crossing the door. Putting the gym gear on. Doing ‘something’.
People will often find, what held them back, their mental stories about fears, size, fitness, being judged, feeling inadequate and so on were just that – stories (not reality).
As someone who spent DECADES convincing myself – to my detriment – that ‘I couldn’t’, I hope this inspires you to think more deeply about giving your health and quality of life, the best chance you can.