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?

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Day...

As I start yet another new restaurant job today, I thought I'd share a little mid-week motivation with you.

I wasn't expected to change jobs after merely four months at the previous restaurant, but if I've learned nothing else this year, it has been to not sit idly by and "just deal" with situations that are not beneficial or lucrative to my goals (or bank account). I used to worry about the implications of the ever-growing "previous employment" portion on my resume, but there are some advantages to being nearly 30 and with a child.

The thing about stagnancy is that it's like a sneaky bug that just kind of sits on your shoulder, not doing anything, until you happen to look or a friend flicks it off for you. While it's no mystery that I'm not exactly thrilled to still be waiting tables at 29, I have been far more proactive in this season alone compared to years passed regarding my future. I said if I was going to still wait tables, it would at least be in a location where I could get excited about meals prepared by a talented chef. I said if I was going to still wait tables, I would be more productive in my free time and get my crap together to also start spending more time in the gym.

Even though the first restaurant didn't work out (honestly, I'm not nice or accommodating enough to deal with the insane particular needs of this specific hotel's clientele... or upper management, for that matter), I'll still be working at an establishment I can certainly say I'm proud to work for. At the gym, I'll be picking up another class or two soon, and am waiting for corporate to approve me to start training, which is already a given but still a formal process that they need to go through.

Take that, stagnancy.

Now, how about some Muse? Their songs are so epic, I can't help but to feel fired up and ready to go whenever I hear anything by them. My daughter loves to hum/mumble/sing along to "Uprising." Nothing but the best of rock for my little girl :)

What's your big goal you're working toward right now?

Where are you getting your motivation from this week?

Here it Goes, Here it Goes, Here it Goes Again

Yeah, I'd say 2012 has been a lot like the OK Go video. Good thing I like treadmills, right?

That's not to stay I've been stagnant, I've just been moving and changing a lot but my scenery isn't really changing. I've been going through the motions - flipping through my ACE texts, getting the personal and group training certifications, trying to be an active fitness blogger - but not really getting ahead. This past week I finally moved into action.

Step One: New serving job. I've hesitated to post this because I needed to make sure I gave my notice before any wandering eyes found their way to my blog. I've really enjoyed working with the people at this most recent establishment, but the overall environment - being a restaurant adjacent with and belonging to a hotel - just was not for me. I needed something new.

A serving job that was a little less:

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Definitely NOT:

And wouldn't make me want to:

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That third one is always iffy. I mean, the world is full of people. Not all of them are exactly brilliant, and of those less-than-brilliant types, I might have to wait on a few. At least if someone's stupidity makes me cry, I'll try to keep it on the inside :-D

Step Two: Get my A$$ in the gym!

No, not to work out. I finally, for real, not just saying I'll do it but actually DID, get all of my certifications and resume together and presented it to the gym I currently work at teaching spin. There was a minor hiccup today, as I found out I needed to fill out an entire new application, but that wasn't bad because it forced me to update my resume, qualifications, and references. I just hope that this gym allows its trainers to teach group fitness and vice versa. I don't see why they wouldn't except that it might complicate payroll, but I will argue that - in my opinion - members would want to see their instructors in multiples roles at the gym.

Years ago, when I was first just getting back to the gym and doing something about the rounder shape I'd gotten myself into, I noticed a divide straight away. There were the instructors, who just came and went as they had classes scheduled, and the trainers, who pretty much kept to themselves behind the trainer's desk, not interacting with members outside of their appointments. This didn't seem right.

It wasn't for several years after I first got back into shape that I took up an interest in training, mainly because I saw a gap that needed to be bridged. And maybe this is the server in me (the happy server, not the one who sometimes wants to scream), but I think the spirit of hospitality and helpfulness should extend to EVERY industry.

How many times have you walked into the gym and not even been greeted by the person at the front desk? I bet it's happened this week. The gym I work for isn't so bad - the front desk staff is typically attentive and friendly - but I've been in other places where it seemed like most of the staff, trainers, sales team, and front desk alike just didn't want to be there. I get that maybe they're bored or even frustrated because it's slow and they don't have any appointments, but what's stopping them from getting out on the floor, offering to spot someone, or even seeing if they can give some free pointers? What's more likely to get new clients, anyway: sitting around doing nothing, or engaging with members?

I say that I am and always be a server at heart. Maybe that's why I went and got a new restaurant job (I know, again) instead of quitting the industry altogether. And what I've learned in the service industry most certainly extends to the attitude I have toward personal training: it's not just taking an order and then providing the product, it's about guiding the experience. When I take on new clients, I could make every one of them do the same routine and see results, but that's not what they want, either. They need to be a part of the process and I need to make it enjoyable (or less torturous) for them.

Step Three: The Balancing Act.

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Both jobs start in about two weeks. I'll train in the mornings and work four dinner shifts Wednesday through Saturday. My husband asked, "When will you sleep?" which I told him I'm not worried about. I'm actually concerned with when I'll eat! I'm going to start stocking up on Luna Bars, Lara Bars and Zone Perfect Perfectly Simple. I should just start sending emails:

Dear So-and-Such Company,
I am a mom/server/trainer/fitness instructor and perpetual student of fitness and life seeking sponsorship in the form of free food so that I might survive from one day to the next. I will eat and review your tasty food products, wear clothes with your company logo, and might even get the image of your best-selling product tattooed on my arm if it means I won't have to go to work on an empty stomach ever again.

Who would you have help sponsor your life?

What's the worst job you ever had?