Eye on the Prize

This has been kind of my "off" week, as I've gotten to really just worry about getting my workouts and classes in and not have to focus too much on work since I only had a couple training shifts and then an easy first night on the floor. Next week starts the fun.

On Monday, I'll get oriented at the gym with their new client process. I'm under the impression that I already have a few clients lined up for me based on this particular location's demand for female trainers, so I am beyond excited. They say, "If you talk the talk, then walk the walk." Well, I have the walking part down, it's the talking that I get to work on now.

Everyone faces a lot of challenges when it comes to getting and staying fit, but on the flip side of that is the challenge of telling people the exact thing they need to hear to get motivated. For the most part, trainers have something to work with, as new clients have already taken the step to sign up for personal training. From there, however, there are a lot of mental road blocks that both the trainer and client must overcome, the first of which being just HOW much the client will need to work. A new routine can be a bit of a shock to the system, so you have to convince someone that the initial discomfort will not only be worth it, but it will eventually subside and become a feeling they will actually look forward to and even seek out on their own.

I think (and fear) the same will be for me, as I embark on my own new routine. I will definitely be seeking out advice and consult from other trainers out there balancing work, family life, and their own fitness regimens. My first worry, of course, will be the hours. I will potentially have clients any time between 6:00AM and 11:00AM. Three nights a week, I'll train in the mornings then work in the restaurant at night. I've done this kind of crazy schedule when I was working and in school, but not with a child.

My second worry would be how to keep up with my own training and running goals. I figure the best way would be to squeeze in a workout after my last client of the morning while I still have child care, but I know there will be days that I will have just a 4-hour window in the middle of the day to clean, do laundry, prepare meals and - oh, I dunno - eat or nap or something.

One thing that I know for right now is that I can't really plan anything until I see how the first couple of weeks go. But for starters, I'll be implementing the same strategies I would ask of my clients:

• Don't make excuses before you even get started. For me, this means that I can't go into my new routine on an assumption that I won't ever work out or sleep. I have to trust that I'll be able to go with the flow until I adapt to my new scheduling demands. Same for working out: What feels hard - even impossible - at first, soon becomes second nature.
• Enjoy your free time. I used to have a hard time just sitting and relaxing, especially if there was a full hamper or dirty dishes within view. Not anymore. My hubby teased me earlier this week because I was somewhat sleep-deprived (self-inflicted, no sympathy for me) and so I literally did nothing around the house. I had my spin class, but I did nothing else for the rest of the day. And. It. Was. Awesome. So I say if you've at least done what you need to do for yourself by the end of the day, it's OK to let a chore or to go! After all, chores, I think, just raise blood pressure. Exercise lowers it :)
• Treat your body like a car. I know I struggle with simple things like remembering to eat. It happens too easily: I'm hustling to work out, shower, make lunch and/or dinner, give my girl her lunch, get her down for a nap, shower... before I know it, the babysitter is here and I need to be out the door or I'm late to work. That just won't fly once I'm working full-time. So I will arm myself with an arsenal of nutritious, go-to foods that I will use to fill my tank. Like a car, you can only go so far on "E" before your machine just quits on the side of the road.
• Keep your eye on the prize. Goal-setting is crucial to a client's success. The goal must not only be attainable, but something that embraces both the physical and mental changes a client is trying to achieve. The same is true for me when it comes to work. In a world full of A-type go-getters who stop at nothing 'til the job is done (or the boss stops yelling) I'm very fortunate to have been able to make my own schedule between the gym and the restaurant. But to be sure that I don't get burned out, I will need to remain focused on why I'm doing this in the first place. There are, of course, financial reasons, but more importantly, I am just so eager to be an example of health and fitness. I not only want to help others get fit, but to become examples and motivators to their own friends and colleagues. Remembering this will help to push me forward, no matter what.

 
Share with us- what are your tips/tricks for balancing everything in your own routine? What's the best fitness advice you've received?