Well, I am married now (Woooohooo!). It was surprisingly the most perfect day ever and it turns out that this whole marriage thing feels very natural and easy. Being the pessimist that I am, I tend to expect the worst. However, I was able to get a good night's sleep the night before the wedding, I was very happy with my weight and body fat percentage (I trained hard!), loved my hair and make up, the ceremony started on time, I make it through the ceremony without crying (there has to be some sort of award for that) and the entire evening was filled with nothing but love from every single one of our guests. Amazing.
Motivating my clients is still a work in progress as everyone is different but I feel I have made improvements. The first change I made was to take the mystery out of teaching exercises. I simply ask my clients how they learn best. "Do you learn better by listening, doing, or do you prefer to see demonstrations?" Most people choose two options. Yes, it sounds like common sense to ask someone that, but I am a stickler for perfect form and was often indecisive about how to approach teaching movements like the squat and deadlift. These are complicated movements if you want to get the most out of them.
Second, I removed the sugar coating and started being completely honest regarding food and training habits. I used to gradually transition people out of bad habits and gradually increase training frequency but it didn't always work. So, being that I am probably the only person that will tell them that they've got to cut out alcohol completely versus cut down to one night a week, I decided to disregard hurt feelings and expect them to just do it or warn them they wont see much of a change. "Stop eating out, cook at home and stop drinking".
These small changes have made my life easier and made a difference in the way my clients view me.
Regarding the graduate school monster, I am due to graduate in December! I delayed my graduation a semester in exchange for a family vacation. We toured Europe for 15 days and I definitely got the mental get-away I needed.
While I still constantly think about the direction I want to take my career, I always come back to one thing-owning my own facility. For the past month I have been editing a draft of a business plan I wrote a year ago! I have also begun my search for grant money and start up business capital. Just the thought of working for someone else's vision, goals and being told where I have to be and how long to be there makes me feel like a caged bird. I believe in myself as a trainer and a fitness professional, so why not? Freedom definitely seems worth the sacrifice it will take to succeed in this endeavor. Updates on the facility coming soon with hopes to win your feedback!
