Everyone wants to be stronger, fitter, leaner… YESTERDAY.

Keeping up with the latest fitness “craze” is like chasing the donut at the end of the treadmill. No matter how much you want it, it’s always just out of reach. As if treadmills weren’t overrated enough.

As a health professional in the fitness space, no matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn.

This takes time. Lots of time.

Time I want to save you.

I devote my life to this process in the hope you won’t have to. In the hope to accelerate your process by imparting a little bit of my knowledge to avoid the pain of making the same mistakes that I did.

     TIP 1.  Surround yourself with people smarter than you are

I had a theory in year 12 math class;

The further you sit from the smartest kid in the class, the worse your grade will be.

No one wants to be the dumbest in the room. It’s human nature to compare and feels crappy when we inevitably come up short. If you can get through that though, there are hundreds of benefits. Ever heard the saying “you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with”? By being around others smarter than you, you can’t help but absorb their knowledge.

Naturally, I sat directly next to the smartest guy every day, listened, asked questions and saw my math results skyrocket.

THE MESSAGE: You will always learn something if you are willing to listen. Aim to be the “dumbest” person in the room.

     TIP 2.  Never stop learning

The education you completed throughout TAFE/University was important. Truth is… it was only the beginning. If you have been in the fitness industry for even a short while, you would know this too.

Some of us aim to learn “all the things”, assuming knowledge is the key to success. The truth of the matter is; we can’t and never will. Instead we must adopt a mindset of continual growth. Aiming to be slightly less wrong with each new day.

When you think about it, practically everything is “Google-able”. Lack of information is not the issue. In reality, unfiltered information with a lack of direction, practice and application is the issue. This is the journey that we, as fitness professionals, must take.

THE MESSAGE: Learn, apply, learn more, re-apply. 

     TIP 3.  Imperfect action beats perfect inaction

I’m a chronic perfectionist and I know I’m not the only one. Here’s the hard truth: If we wait for perfection, nothing will get done. No one will get results. Our clients would never train and we will never trial new ideas.

No one ever did anything of note without first failing. A lot.

THE MESSAGE: We need to take action but more importantly, we need to fail.

     TIP 4.  Find yourself a mentor

This one’s important. Add it to the top of your to do list in bold print, capitalised and highlighted in yellow.

Maybe you’re wondering “How do I navigate this industry sustainably when I know I don’t want to still be working 5am starts and 8pm finishes at 40 and want kids someday? What comes next in the fitness industry and how can I get there?”.

Whatever your doubts and fears; I promise you that investing in a mentor will be the single greatest move you make in your career. Trust me. I would not be half the person or practitioner I am today without them. Knowing has your back 100% pushes and challenges you to think and act beyond what you believe you’re capable of, especially in a competitive environment like the fitness industry.

THE MESSAGE: Invest in a mentor who gets your situation and has been where you are now.