Here’s a golden nugget from NPE Member Paul Wright. He
wrote this as part of his recent blog post for the Mega
Training Scholarship contest…

“A couple weeks ago I had a client come into my office and
ask me a “simple” exercise-related question (a very common
occurrence for all of us). I answered to her satisfaction
and as she left my office she said, “Well I guess I’ll go
try to do this” to which I responded with a question that
has become one of my new business directives:

“Are you training or are you trying?

“She didn’t quite understand what I meant so I explained
that when you’re “training” to accomplish your goals you
are focused, systematic, analytical and eliminate “chance”
from the equation. You have to be purposeful in your actions
and then evaluate the outcome of those actions.

“If you’re merely “trying” to reach your goals then you’ve
allowed chance to be your guide and you’re haphazardly
going from one diet to the next or you’re sporadic and
unfocused in your exercise routine.”

Now that’s really good stuff you can use with your clients.

And it’s transcendant, it goes way beyond exercise. It really
hits on the difference between mediocre results (or none at
all) and game-changing results in every aspect of our lives.

We’re all so busy, with so much to do just to keep our heads
above water, let alone really thrive.

Business is hard work. Infinitely harder than a job.

But when you do things right consistently, the work load
becomes more manageable and things start to really click.

The secret, as I mentioned yesterday, is focus.

You have to eliminate distraction.

When I’m really on my game, really focused and productive,
it’s because I’m not resisting structure.

Here’s what I mean by that.

Like a lot of entrepreneurial people, maybe you, I like the
thrill of the new challenge and the new opportunity. So I find
myself almost unconsciously seeking those things out, and that
can sometimes get me off track.

It can also lead to big ideas and big breakthroughs, so there’s
definitely an upside. But if you’re not in control of that
(emotional) tendency or compulsion (however you want to characterize
it), you can constantly be jumping from one thing to the next,
never fully completing projects, and therefore never fully
benefiting from them.

That’s why structure is so vital.

Here’s a couple tips on being structured:

1. Use a calendar like http://www.google.com/calendar and block
your time. Then be ruthless about disciplining yourself to do
what you’ve blocked the time to do.

2. Go to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same
time every morning. Get into a routine. Sounds simple, and it
is. Some of the best stuff is simple.

3. Take care of yourself first. This is one I’ve been struggling
with a lot lately. Get your workout in every day, or as per your
schedule. Don’t miss even one.  And take time off, even if it’s
just 30 minutes a day, to read. No TV. Just read something good
that’s stimulating. Maybe motivational/inspiration stuff, or maybe
business related, or hobby related. Just not something frivolous.

4. Plan, prioritize and review. Most people understand the importance
of planning and prioritizing (although they don’t always stick to
the plan), but very few appreciate how critical it is to review.
Dick and Sean are VERY big on this, and it’s rubbing off on me…
finally.  Go back and look at last week’s calendar. Did you stick
to it?  If not, why not? What got in the way?  When you review, you
discover the bottlenecks and can eliminate them.

5. Have fun. Business is serious stuff, but it can also be a lot of
fun if you let it be. It’s what you make it. And if you follow the
first 4 steps I’ve outlined here, you’ll be able to make it a lot
more fun, because you won’t be so frazzled and stressed all the time.

6. Be honest with yourself. Nobody knows you like you do. If there
is some behavior that’s holding you back, you know it, and you need
to be honest with yourself about it. As they say in the 12-step
programs, “the first step is admitting you have a problem.”  Truth
is, we ALL have our issues. But the folks who make the most of their
lives figure out what the problems are and take daily action to
eliminate them.

7. Finally, get connected and inspired.  Make connections and let
other people help you. Even if it’s just with inspiration and positive
role modeling. But I encourage you to take it beyond that by putting
yourself in an environment like Mega Training where you’ll be surrounded
by very serious (but fun) fitness business owners who have experienced
many of the same issues as you and found ways to overcome them and to
excel. Trying to figure everything out on your own is a needlessly
frustrating experience when you have access to the best of the best
who are ready, willing and able to help you.

If you haven’t registered for Mega Training yet, do it right now
while this is fresh on your mind. The discount deadline is coming
up fast (this Friday).

http://www.NPEMegaTraining.com

I look forward to seeing you in Orlando
(be sure to come up and say hi),

Eric Ruth

P.S. We have lots of great surprises and just flat out amazing
content, systems and tools to share with you at Mega Training.
Our line-up of speakers is incredible (21 in all) and this event
will be something that you look back on as the turning point in
your career – the launching pad.  It’s true, as you’ll see.

http://www.NPEMegaTraining.com

Here’s another health club marketing post you may enjoy.