the WORST thing in our industry (important)
This week I was scheduled to be in Texas hunting hogs with Marcus Luttrell, author of the book Lone Survivor.
But Texas had horrible weather (including a few tornadoes), forcing the hunt to be cancelled at the last minute.
So I decided to spend the week digging in harder on some very BIG projects on my plate right now.
I spent 15+ hours on the phone interviewing several clients. And with a couple of them (the newer ones we’ve only recently started working with) a very important issue came up.
I also received a very personal letter from a client struggling with the same thing right now (and it’s not a financial concern, he’s crushing it in that department).
This is without a doubt the most spirit killing, soul-crushing, cause-of-burnout there is in our industry.
And if you’re doing this right now, STOP!
Perspective (Young Man Mistakes)
I want to preface this article with full transparency.
I have made many mistakes in my life.
This was one of them.
But I’m not alone.
Chances are high (maybe 100%?) that you’ve made them too… and are possibly continuing to make them.
That’s OK.
As long as some “learning” eventually occurs.
And by hook or by crook… it will.
My wish for you is that you read this and make the necessary changes in your business and life NOW.
Don’t wait to learn this lesson the hard way.
YOU are More Important Than Your Business
Your health, happiness, and fulfillment are what’s most important in life.
NOT your business.
The purpose of your business is to support your life.
And taking care of yourself means that WHILE you’re building your business… you still must prioritize things like:
- Making time to eat healthy food
- Getting good rest at night
- Ensuring you have time and energy to get in some exercise each week
- Adjust things as necessary to keep your stress levels down (related to #1, 2, and 3 above… but also involves additional items).
Now that’s what you and I NEED to do.
And keeping that on track WHILE building a business will challenge you for sure.
But we’re not done yet.
What’s next?
Your Family Is More Important Than Your Clients
Once you’ve got taking care of yourself down… consistently… you’ve got a responsibility to your family.
Your spouse, your children, your extended family, etc.
They need your love and support.
And if you’re working all the time INSTEAD of balancing your time and energy investments to be there for them… chances are good that’s not gonna end well for anybody.
NOT taking care of yourself and NOT being there for your family and fulfilling those very important roles you signed on to play in your life BESIDES being a business owner, coach, etc. IS the root cause of negative symptoms like burnout, unhappiness, and general dissatisfaction.
Why Do We Do It?
So if NOT taking care of ourselves and NOT being there for those we love who depend on us isn’t good for us… why do we do it?
Why do we push things so hard to put ourselves in this negative and unhealthy place?
And how on earth do you get in a place where you become ADDICTED to repeatedly causing yourself that kind of pain… over and over again?
Well, the answers always lie within.
- You have a strong desire to “succeed” in growing your business (the very loaded word in this sentence is “success”- how do YOU define it?)
- Your desire (and need) to have your business to produce enough income to support your lifestyle goals and provide for those who depend on you (and making the mistake in thinking that money is what matters, when it really matters little. LOVE is most valuable currency we have in every relationship… including the one we have with ourselves.)
- You enjoy challenging yourself… and seeing how much you can grow as a result
- You enjoy learning new skills, systems, etc. you can apply in your business… and then pushing yourself to implement them, seeing how far they can take you
- You are trying to prove something to yourself or someone else, namely that YOU can do this (because most can’t or won’t put forth the time, effort, and sacrifice to do so)
This is by no means a complete list. But I think it’s some of the big rocks.
Let’s dig in and talk more about this addition to pain piece, because there is a LOT to discuss there…
St. George and the Dragon
St. George and the Dragon painting by Paolo Uccello dating from around 1470 (click to enlarge)
This is a very famous painting of “St George and the Dragon” by Paolo Uccello (click to enlarge and take a look at it in full screen, it’s very cool!)
It dates from around the 1470s and is on display in the National Gallery in London (I hope to see it during my upcoming UK trip in April).
My friend John Du Cane, owner of Dragon Door, and I just spoke about it on the phone yesterday. And I thought it would be very relevant to share in discussing this topic.
There are many legends and versions of this story.
But as you can see St. George has come on his horse to kill the dragon and free the maiden.
And the maiden wants to be saved from the dragon.
But what she doesn’t realize is that she has been holding onto it’s leash the entire time.
And what she MUST do is let go of it.
This story relates very much to anyone dealing with addiction.
And I would define addition as “a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences associated with it.”
And is this case, we’re talking about addiction to pushing yourself SO hard that you cross the barrier into very negative pain and suffering in growing your business.
When you are experiencing dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and burnout symptoms WHILE pushing yourself extremely hard to grow your business… you become like the maiden in the legend of St. George.
And what you must be made aware of, which is the whole purpose for me in writing this article, is that YOU are the one holding onto this leash and only YOU can let go of it!
Letting Go of the Leash
So, how on earth do you let go of the leash and kill the dragon?
And put an end to this negative cycle in your business and life once and for all?
I think the first thing that must occur is the very deep understanding and awareness that:
- There is a dragon.
- There is a leash holding the dragon close to you and it’s in your hand….
- Only YOU can let go of the leash, and you must do so before you…
- Kill the dragon.
This is not an easy process.
I’ve been through it and I’d say it took me 2 years to work through steps #1-4.
There is obviously a lot to this very big topic.
But let me start with some fundamental and basic action steps I feel are important in beginning the process.
Hierarchy of Responsibility
I think one of the first steps is to understand that when you’re in this place, your values are out of alignment.
I wrote a well received article on this called “Unspoken Conversations and the Hierarchy of Responsibility” last year which talks about this in more details and how to start fixing it.
The short version is that you must value yourself first, your family and friends second, your team third, and your clients fourth.
Anytime you get those mixed up or out of order, you will suffer and your path is unsustainable.
The second, more structural piece involves how you manage and choose to “invest” your time.
Time Investments
Time IS the most valuable asset we get to enjoy in the universe.
And I say “get to enjoy” because once it’s gone, it NEVER comes back.
Money is actually not that valuable.
And you can ALWAYS do things to get more money, but you NEVER get more time.
So therefore it’s extremely important to make careful decisions about how you INVEST your time (and energy).
I really don’t like the phrase “time management.”
Because it’s impossible to “manage” time.
Time simply is.
What we have the ability to control and direct is our FOCUS and activities.
So that is what must be managed.
But the word “manage” to me also seems to have a negative and boring connotation.
Nobody wants to “manage” anything.
Managing implies “watch this so you don’t screw it up”.
Oh joy.
Let me go do some more of that! 
No thanks.
I prefer to use the term time “investments.”
Because that’s more fun… and actually a much more accurate description I think.
When you “invest” your time… you can get either get very positive or negative returns.
And the positive returns can grow exponentially… making you a very “wealthy” person in multiple areas of life.
Your health, your finances, your relationships, etc.
So let’s talk about some very basic good time investment DECISIONS you can make WHILE building your business.
First and foremost, I think it is absolutely essential you…
Eliminate Split Shifts!
Everyone has done this in our industry.
Get up early.
Go to the gym.
Train clients until late morning.
Have lunch.
Try to do a little work.
Try to workout yourself (even though you are tired from little sleep and getting up so early).
Get cleaned up.
Pound caffeine because you’re tired… but the day’s not over yet.
Pick yourself up to train clients again in the evening (showtime! part 2).
Finish late evening.
Head home.
Say hello to anyone still awake.
Try to get to sleep so you can get up in a few hours and…
Do it all over again!
CRAZY!
This is an unsustainable path. And it will break you at some point one way or another.
So my first advice to EVERY SINGLE CLIENT is to STOP DOING THIS NOW!
Just stop.
Cut yourself off from the bar immediately.
No more for you!
Decide whether you want to be a morning worker or an evening worker.
Set your hours and schedule.
And then protect those boundaries you are setting with everything you’ve got.
It’s pretty simple.
All you need is to use one word in your vocabulary “NO!”
If you have a family, let me make this simple for you. You are probably going to be a morning worker and finish by 4pm.
Then evenings will be spent with your family. Because nobody wants to hang out with you at 6am in the morning.
And there are no little league or youth football games at that time.
So go to work in the early morning and see everyone later.
You DON’T need the money from working a split shift.
More important you need time to take care of yourself and devote to other relationships (especially if you have children!).
Better you get smarter about raising your fees, offering semi-private or group training, do some better marketing to fill up group classes to better leverage the time you ARE working IN your business to produce more income.
Ok?
Summary
Now I could’ve just started and ending this article by saying “stop doing split shifts”.
But if I just did that, you wouldn’t REALLY get it… probably wouldn’t do it… and therefore would be destined to repeat the same mistakes you are making over and over again.
So I’ve taken the time to dig into this with more discussion, in hopes that you can really understand this whole thing a little better and kill your own dragon.
It’s a lot to think about and digest.
So give this some time to mullover, but DO take swift action.
I challenged the client who I spoke with dealing with this issue to write a letter over the weekend… deliver it to all 38 of his clients on Monday.. and have the change in his schedule take place end of this week.
Any client in a contract that wants out as a result of cancelling an evening class… try to plug them into a morning class or let them go.
Life is too short to quibble over a few dollars.
I hope he’s writing the letter right now and gets it out the door tomorrow.
Will let you know how it goes.
For the rest of the day I’m following my own advice and heading off to enjoy another beautiful day in the sunshine at the lake.
Because I’m in full agreement with the immortal words of Rodney Dangerfield that “If you don’t look out for #1, you’re likely to step in #2.”
Peace out.
Sean
P.S. I think everyone in our community would benefit from some healthy discussion on this topic. So please engage in that process by sharing your experience and comments below. We’ll see where that takes us.
Interesting post, Sean, but ultimately I believe it’s about knowing yourself and your individual limitations.
That starts by clearly defining your priorities. For me, I call them my ‘four cornerstones’, that consists of Faith, Family, Friends and Business…in that order.
As long as I keep my priorities in order, things flow pretty smoothly.
My life and my businesses are about relationship first. That was the plan.
Some things you must consider.
- Know yourself and your limitations. It is hard enough to bounce back from burn-out, and even more so from repeated bouts of burn-out. You must be able to say STOP and get away to rejuvenate yourself before you get to that point of burn-out.
- Know which relationships help nurture and support your dreams, and willingly pick up some of your slack (and you will be leaving slack if you do things the ‘wrong’ way). Nurture and embrace those relationships. They will make all the difference in your success.
- Know your direction, ultimate goals, stepping stone goals, and time frames. Create a plan for it all. Live within your means and plan your days. Do not deviate from your plan or it will be disaster.
Excellent info Sean, last year I made a decision to stop teaching evening classes because I was probably experiencing ‘Burnout’
It seem like a financial risk stopping the classes but has turned out to be one of the best moves I’ve ever made in terms of not feeling burnout and bizzarely making more money now than I ever did, as the evenings all bar two when I still see 3 clients (that will stop by Summer) are used more for family and some planning.
Kind Regards
Erak
PS: Hope to see you in April when you visit the UK
I was stunned by the relevance of this email to several conversations I have had with client/friends on this exact topic in even the last 24 hours.
I returned to coaching/training 4 years ago after working 10 years in the visual effects industry (post production for film and television). In that industry, we worked to deadlines, but would often work (for months) 12+ hours/day for 6 days a week, sometimes 7 days a week. No life to speak of. It taught me a very important lesson about what I don’t want. It has been a struggle to choose to not fall back into that pattern of spit shifting, or fitting a client in as a courtesy etc, etc. As you say, “NO” is a very powerful word. When clients understand that you are practicing what you preach, they become even more compliant in adhering to their own health and fitness programs.
Great timing on a very important concept.
Best regards,
Katie
Vancouver, BC
Could not have read this at a better time its a it’s amazing I was just in church thinking about this very subject I have to make a new schedule and it has been driving me crazy because I love my clients an I have 48 of them but I’m working way too many hours I never have time to do anything im not talking about fun stuff I’m talkin bout basic washing clothes or taking my dog out I get no sleep a couple times actually ended up sick. With so many clients I don’t know how I’m going to schedule every body in the morning or if I rather do mornings or nights its gonna be a challenge but I kno I need to make the change thanks sean
Thanks!!!!!
Great post. Clearly setting and sticking to priorities is so important and so hard to do. Thanks for the reminder.
Great comments Greg and thanks for adding to the conversation.
Agreed. Priorities is where it starts.
But I don’t think anyone can effectively balance them unless structure (ie their schedule) is designed to support.
Hence my reccomendation to stop doing split shifts!
Erak, great example you’ve shared here. Thank you.
More info about UK event announced soon. Look forward to seeing you then!
Hey Sean,
Your article was very appropriate for my situation. I decided last weekend that I need to give up working evenings because I wasn’t spending enough time with the family during the week. I have been considering how to tell the 2 or 3 clients that it will effect and even reconsidering my decision to give up my evening hours. Thank you for reminding/reinforcing that giving up the night hours is a good decision.
Great post Sean. It doesn’t matter if you’re a trainer, a trainer of trainers, or someone outside of the fitness industry…what you said is true.
But man is it hard to implement for some people…myself included. At some point you really just have to say enough is enough. It’s a lot of fun to watch a business grow, then do a little more and watch it grow some more. But as the old adage goes, on their deathbed, no one will look back with regrets and say “I wish I would have worked more”. At some point you have to realize how quickly the months and years pass and ask yourself where your limit is. Then set that limit and just do it. Things always work themselves out as long as you operate according to a system. Always.
And as for finding a “Why”…that’s tough for some people. If you don’t have a wife or kids, think bigger. How about your parents retirement, how about YOUR retirement. How about doing like my buddy Dax Moy and working your ass off for a quarter, then taking a week vacation, every time without exception. The world is a very big place with lots to see. Your dog wants your love. Charities need your help. You’ll meet your significant other at some point and your relationship will be much stronger if you’ve already “made it” in your business. You can have enough set aside at age 45 that you don’t have to work if you don’t want to. There is no limit to WHY you should systemize your business and improve your quality of life. You just have to find that why, and live for it.
Hi Sean,
Thanks sharing such pivotal stuff. I absolutely LOVE your writing about setting priorities…and goals…and goals of the goals of the goals. i’ve been reading THAT post over and over since you first wrote it. I was blessed to be able to get to Mega Training last October and when I came back I immediately immersed myself in completely overhauling our Personal Training offerings at the club.
I got rid of the time wasting “buy this many sessions for this price” and take as long as you want to use crap that I had been peddling for 6 years….what a waste of time for both the client and myself! And you were right…I was a “bad coach” for allowing clients to do that.
Now I am training several PT’s to efffectively take my place training clients….so that I can FINALLY work ON my business and stop running myself ragged trying to work IN it.
Thank you so much for all that you do…and write. It has been invaluable!
Love this post! This is probably one of my biggest problems. Giving way too much time to work, and not enough for myself and family. I have to be better at telling my clients “No!” That should make my wife happier too.
Great stuff. I was reading through it and it all makes sense — but as a new business owner just getting off the ground, that is MY reality. Luckily for me, I have no family to support, etc and can do split shifts for now. I actually come home after last class and eat dinner while going through billing, blogging, etc. It’s totally unsustainable.
I know my next step (and we’re working on it) is to hire an admin assistant and then a trainer to cover my night classes.
No matter what the day has brought, I am always wiped for that last class.
I truly feel that even when I put on my showtime face, I gave way more value the rest of the day.
Great food for thought.
Appreciate it, Sean.
Always impeccable timing with your choice of topic Sean Greeley.Last week I had planned ahead to drop my night sessions but hadn’t followed through with it yet. Now It’s 930am and I’ve just eliminated all my afternoon shifts for the week. Coaching commitments done by 1015 each day leaves time and energy for project work during the day and Cass at night
On another note…I’d like to thank Sean, Eric and the NPE staff for alway’s being honest and acting with integrity. There’s a comfort level that comes with knowing that everytime I buy your products you stand behind them 100%. No BS, No gimmicks, no slezy marketing…just no hassle, time efficient, money making products. “Priceless”.
I agree totally, I almost killed myself last year as a mobile trainer driving 800 miles a week – and working any hour anyone would have me.
I am currently switching to the boot camp model with group and only a select few one on one’s, and only have a couple of days of split shifts at the moment.
Sean is right, split shifts will literally melt you from the inside. Getting fired up again for the evening isn’t easy, and our business is somewhat like “show business”. The evening folks don’t get as good of a performance, and that can be detrimental to client satisfaction and retention.
Life is more important than money. Period.
Count me in on this post Sean, and I would have probably argued about split shifts “not being that bad” a year ago. They are. Live and learn.
Jay
Sean,
This was a great post. I am going to take your advice. Thanks again.
Of course this comes on the heels of regretfully agreeing to let a longtime client move to a nighttime slot. I knew it wasn’t the right thing for me, after avoiding it for the last 6 years. Thanks for the reinforcement! I’ll be changing that tomorrow.
It always seems like you’re talking directly to me. Perfect time for this post and really hits home. I have been working 37533633 hours it seems and not gaining a lot of headway. When you get burned out, I think you get terribly unproductive… Your head is spinning so many directions that you end up accomplishing a lot of nothing.
Working with family, in my case adds even more obstacles. Finding the balance between quality work time and quality family time is extremely challenging. Leaving work at work seems impossible.
Heather, yeah kill that STAT!
No evening training for you!
Thanks for sharing your story Jay!
All the best!
Good stuff Dave! And well done… you’re gonna be a whole lot happier with that adjustment. Gotta plan a call to connect with you and the rest of the Aussie crew soon. Let’s catch up!
Mitch as the saying goes… “happy wife, happy life.”
Awesome Kerry! Thanks for posting and sharing your story!
Thanks for joining in the conversation Curtis.
And yes, this discussion really applies to everyone who owns their own business…or is working hard to build their career… in the fitness industry or any other.
You’re also right about looking for bigger why’s… there are so many good ones out there to engage and be passionate about.
Glad you mentioned that dogs need our love too.
Damn, maybe I have to change my whole Hierarchy of Responsibility graphic now to include “Family, Friends, and Dogs.”
Jessica, yes I am talking directly to you!
Glad this post resonated with you and hope it helps to give some clarity in moving things forward in a positive direction.
Started last December to cover every weeknight shift 4-8pm at the gym, personal semi group training, closing studio etc…, and afraid to loose my a.m little income with spin classes in other gym, aqua and personal training to client ‘s house I struggle to cover my personal needs, family house etc…I get up at 4am and run nonstop on that very description you give …struggling to fit everything everyone in , and not even covering the bills.I have been afraid to admit it to my am clients , to my agent , to myself even that I am feeling worn out. I am border line with injuries. Amazingly I did my 200hrs yoga teacher training to refocus and understand the roots of my chaotic life decisions, and suddenly I am finding myself back into that same rut…Addiction….
I am not happy, I look great, give the impression that everything is under control , but I live in the constant fear of loosing everything , starting with my health and job if I get injured again and grow everyday more frustrated of the life I am missing.
Your letter might be the cherry on the cake, I need to shrink my working day to 1 shift if any!
I write this to commit to call my agent and give her the week to find someone else for my 5:30 am spin classes, and will schedule my 5am client differently as well..
Difficult decisions but feeling that I want to quit everything is probably a sign of burn out!
Thank you
Helene
Yes, this is urgent to resolve ASAP Helene. 1 week – get it done and keep us posted on your progress!
I love the part about investing time rather than managing it.
Thanks Justin. I really like that too.
You know thinking a little more about it on my drive home from the lake today… TIME really IS the greatest gift given to us by the universe. We are all given it in equal amounts each day.
And it really is our personal responsibility to make good decisions about investing it wisely!
That was one meaty post! And I can definintely relate. I was one who used to double shift all the time. Until I got married. It was only then I realized there was more to life…and more to my happiness.
I’ve got 45 clients and currently work from 6 am till 7 pm and often longer. In other words I’m burning the candle at both ends. It has been in the back of my head for a long time already; this is insane, I’ve got to stop this. Weird that I needed my son repeatedly telling me that I’m working to hard and never have the time to do things with him and you hitting me with your blog. I’m going to put an end to the evening sessions, starting next week.
Thanks,
Patrick.
Sean, thanks again for an insightful article. I have been wanting to stop the split shifts for years, but I haven’t had the guts. I prefer working in the mornings, but I have a few clients who say they “can’t” exercise then. (In other words, “don’t want to”.) Now I realize, I have been letting them run MY life and MY schedule. I don’t like coming back from training at night & my husband is asleep on the couch… it sucks! 2012 is going to be different!
Thanks for dropping this into my inbox today. I’m constantly telling others that putting themselves first is the best thing all around, and truly believe that time is the most valuable thing I have. Still, I struggle with my own schedule, maintaining a regimented 9 to 5 along with morning, evening, and weekend classes. Things can definitely get out of balance. It really helps to see how others put things back in place. Love the St. George and the Dragon analogy by the way
Great stuff as always. One of the best decisions I have ever made was to put my “givens” on my schedule first and then put my business around it. My “givens” include making breakfast for my kids every day, taking the older 2 to school or to the bus every day, taking the younger 2 to their church program 2 days per week and picking them up, making my wife breakfast at least 3 days per week, and being home every night for dinner with my family. It has cost me a few opportunities, but nothing close to what I have gained from spending this time where it should be spent.
An addition to working on this for ourselves, it is also important to teach this to our trainers. If your top trainers get burned out that doesn’t help your business. It is important that your team is healthy and keeps their sanity as well.
It isn’t always easy, but it is worth it.
I just started digging thru the Backstage Pass program after “running” (more like getting run over) my in-home personal training business for 7 years now…wow, time flies! I was ‘diagnosed’ with adrenal fatigue 4 years ago and decided to heal thru other means rather than what the naturopathic doctor prescribed which included a better work/sleep schedule. 4 years since that diagnosis and I am just now starting to get my health back on track with an appropriate adrenal fatigue healing protocol. I can tell you all that the split shift nearly destroyed me early in the game of a new business…working late into the night on website/blog stuff, getting up early for clients, grabbing a nap in the middle of the day with lunch and my workout, then evening clients, back to night computer work and repeat, repeat, repeat all dosed up on caffeinated beverages to have that performance “perk” I knew my clients were needing and wanting from me. It is a wonder that I am still in business at all. Amazingly, it seems my current client sessions are mostly in the afternoon now, and I will make it stay that way from here on out! I think I just needed this validation from you all here to make me feel like I wasn’t crazy or incapable of working these kinds of crazy hours, especially in a health service that demands so much energy from us.
Thanks for the stamp of sanity which for me is exactly what I have been wanting to do for SO long now, but didn’t HOW to do it. I am certainly looking forward to (finally) learning how to work ON this business from here on out. For every “NO”, there can always be another (more healthful) option offered followed by a “YES”.
Big thanks!
Awesome Issac! Great to have you with us and look forward to working with you!
I sent you an email Sean.
Sean – thank you thank you thank you for this article!! Same as everyone else – I was (am) doing the split shift, taking whatever times I can get for clients, and feeling like my life is spinning out of control. But having you reinforce that it doesn’t have to be that way – that it shouldn’t be that way…. is just what I needed! As an A-type personality it can be hard to recognize that we are not super human and we can’t do everything…. just reading your article made me feel much happier with my current situation – realizing that I am holding the leash of my own dragon lol – great analogy!
Most of the “old dawgs” in NPE are very familiar with my story and how two and half years ago I was in the same situation, except I didn’t even have the middle of my day free from training clients. I was an all day, one man show with no freedom, no life, no desire… But a crap load of MONEY. AND I was the most miserable I have ever been.
My transition from working IN the business to working solely ON the business as been a work in progress. It wasn’t easy. And I’d love to come on here and give everyone 3-4 bullets that will break the cycle and make the decision easy. But when you’re “IN” this situation, you’re mind is not able to clearly see the reason. There is no reason. Only FEAR! Unfortunately, the only way to break out of this mindset is to simply TRUST in the words and advice of those we seek counsel from, and then DO exactly what they say.
Like you said, we don’t even realize we’re holding the leash.
The largest periods of growth in my personal life, as well as my professional life have come from stepping out of what I perceive to be the ONLY WAY and into the very thing that I am fearing the most.
When I did that and had a team of people (coaches, mentors, and peers) supporting me, everything changed and my life (and my business) have been on a rocket ship ride for the better ever since.
Great post Sean! And I hope my experience shared here will help lift the “veil” of those who are currently struggling with this situation.
Clint
Sean,
This was the best thing I have ever done in my business.
Straight after Mega Training in November I came back and gave more responsibility to my team and cut the split shifts. We have become more productive an my down time away from the business witht he family much more rewarding.
You are spot on that you don’t need the extra little bit of income from those few hours in the morning or evening, drop those shifts and you will be so much richer for it.
Cheers,
Jim
Awesome and thanks for sharing Jim!
Very well said Clint!
I agree… when you’re IN the situation it’s VERY hard to think clearly. And totally agree that it’s virtually 100% FEAR based thinking to NOT want to “let go” and get yourself out of it.
Trust… and more importantly FAITH… I believe are the keys.
When you don’t know how it’s all gonna turn out, you can’t clearly see the path, but you take the leap toward moving in a more positive direction anyway… that’s faith.
From my experience, things always end up better than we could have ever anticipated anyway!
Sean
Good stuff Jolene. Yes, it’s not easy being a type-A. We have problems too!
Type-A people problems! LOL.
Great post. Man I do this all the time. Sometimes 5:30am till 7pm when I leave them gym then I have phone calls to clients I’ll 9 pm many times.
I’m very glad that we (the owners of the gym and I) have found NPE because I’m really trying to get my trainers more information and better so that I don’t have to feel like I need to do everything, it’s still crazy but we are new (October 2011) to NPE but I have faith that it will get better because hopefully I have a family someday soon, till then the wife and my dogs would like to see me more
Eric
Hey Sean,
I’ve done the 80 hour work weeks up at 4am home at 9pm. You just simply can’t sustain it. Everything suffers from your health to your marriage and friendships. I have to watch myself here because I am a type A driven person and can get over focused on my business. What I find is when I take a break I’m always more productive instead of trying to hammer through with no rest.
We all talk to our clients about healthy lifestyles so we need to practice what we preach. By not sleeping and overstressing ourselves we are essentially hypocrits
In order to take care of those we love and do our best in whatever roles we have we must take care of ourselves first.
This was a great reminder to all of us. Thanks for the cold shot of water in the face. I need it sometimes.
Sean, awesome post as always. There was a time in my business when I was teaching my morning and evening bootcamp sessions then train an in-home personal training client at night, twice a week. In between these sessions, I work “on” the business, answering e-mails and phone calls, etc. I left the house when it’s still dark outside and it’s still dark outside when I went home.
I was so tired and unmotivated during that time, I just felt like giving up the business once and for all.
Starting January this year, I do not train any sessions anymore except for the occasional kettlebell client who wants to certify. I work so much smarter now with my time being invested in the things that will really help my business grow. More importantly, I am able give myself time to exercise, cook, and spend quality time with my husband and our dog. For the first time in our married life, we are actually planning on starting a family and feel ready for it (or at least as ready as can be).
Thank you to NPE and the tools and coaching you provide to fit biz owners like me. I am glad to have you guys on our side.
To those of you who are reading this post and resonated with the message. I suggest you find a way to do something about your situation right away. It may take sometime as you lay out your plan and implement it but you’ll be glad you did. I promise.
Anna D.
Well well well, that is the exact same reason I messed up my first business, and although it seems I am doing something similar again, the circumstances are different, I am on my own, my family is abroad and I am dedicating these 2yrs to build up a business that I can sell when I am ready to move on to my next project meanwhile trying to save up as much as possible, 6am first session exact same routine as Sean discribed but at 7 pm I go home and by 10 iam asleep, if I spent more time away from the gym I would feel I am losing focus, so it’s def a hard one, try not to burn out and still be successful, obviously not sustainable if you have someone waiting for you at home. Good luck everyone! Can’t wait to receive the NPE backstage pass order and come up with new stuff to generate more income and perhaps finish work at 5ish
Sean this post is just so spot on! I’m sitting here after an unproductive day, stressed, I’d dumped evening stuff weeks ago for family but a couple tech sessions had started to creep back in and wondering why I’m stressed and tired
I definately needed to read this NOW!
Awesome Josh. Hope all is well in Oz! Look forward to catching up with you and rest of the boys soon!
Interesting stuff! I remember grinding it out week after week thinking I was “getting ahead”. I was at a real quandary because I knew I was the problem I just didn’t know how to fix it. When you are doing all the work you are not duplicating yourself so things will NEVER change. Once I got out of my own way things started to change.
There are 4 main areas I focused on: Faith, Family, Fitness and Finances. If any one of them is out of balance you are not a success. Becoming a millionaire at the expense of your family and your health and you are simply a rich, sick, selfish person that no one wants to be around. I had to cut things out of my life that were not taking me and my family where we wanted to go. It was tough and it still is at times because you see something better for yourself that others don’t see.
The old saying of work harder on you than anything else is right on track. Shut the TV off and discipline yourself to read books, listen to cd’s and surround yourself with people who are where you want to be in every area of life. You are at where you are at because of YOUR actions up to this point. Until I was willing to take responsibility for my actions nothing changed. The great news is if you create new habits and discipline yourself daily things will be a lot different in a relatively short period of time.
This morning I woke up without an alarm, spent some quiet time with God then read a couple chapters of an incredible book called EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey. I played some living room football with my two youngest sons and helped my wife get them off to school. My work day started about 8:15 because I have designed it that way.
A year or two ago I would have said this lifestyle with this schedule would be impossible. If you are thinking it must be nice or I wish that were me go stand in front of the mirror and splash some cold water on your face and WAKE UP! This is your life so take responsibility for it.
If you are in this NPE community you are a leader which means people are watching what you do and duplicating it. To whom much is given much is required. Fight for what you want. If you have a family, tape a picture of them on your dashboard so when you leave the house before they wake up and get home right as they are going to bed it eats at you until you take action. Take your head out of the sand and let that pain drive you to where you want to go.
That’s what I had to do. I have by no means arrived but I will say I have tasted freedom and it tastes good.
Thank you for affirming a decision I made recently to be a ‘morning person.’
Despite financial concerns I am actually making more money now and am MUCH happier.
Most trainers do it because we genuinely care about the health and welfare of others and therefore it’s hard to put limits on who we are going to train.
But in the end when we are happier our clients are happier and much better off.
I am going to forward this article to some of my fellow trainers who are heading for burn-out.
Again, thanks so much for validating my decision!
Thank you for a great post! Yes very validating! Even the replies are awesome:) good stuff
Sean,
This hit at a very good time. Business is booming, and I have been running ragged. Fortunately, my wife has been busy as well with her work, so we haven’t “missed” each other yet (one of us working, the other home). That will change, I know.
I was getting the pieces in place to do just this, but I really didn’t have a timeline for it. This article was the impetus to set the timeline. I will take 2012 as a transition year to move to no split shifts. I have some new trainers coming in that I can start sending work to, and I will move any evening clients to them by the end of 2012.
I will still have to do some evenings, but on those days, I am going to transition away from the mornings.
Now, can you do something about my wife’s crazy schedule?
Dave
Dave, yes. Send your wife a link to read this post.
I gotta admit this post got me thinking..
Last year I was at the point of throwing in the towel.. I was working crazy hours and making nothing due to high overheads..
When you are working your ass of and getting nothing in return it’s soul destroying!
I now work one hour a day in the business (6am) and have the rest of the day to do as I wish..
Man I am sooo much happier..
Im home every night and weekends.. I get to see my wife and kids..My life is so much better.. Sure I could take more money home if I trained more but thats not what it all about for me..
Since Ive stopped trying to do it all – I now make more money too.. (nice)
Maybe I am getting lazy but I’d like to really systemetize / automate / delegate my business and work the 4 hour work week! Less if I could!
Ive done it both ways and this way is definately better..
We often think no one can do it better than us.. That our clients will drop if we remove oursleves.. BULL when you are burned out it shows.. You clients can see and feel it..
My staff are way better then me – certainly more enthusiastic that I was.. They are more organised than I am..
My advice – Surround yourself with smart people who have a great attitude and love what they do..
I think once you get over the mental hurdle of removing yourself – everything starts to get easier..
I can honestly say that If I was still trying to do it the old way.. I’d have given up.. As it turns out my business is bigger and more fun that ever!!
Thanks!!
Dave
So 60+ hours a week isn’t the answer? LOL I’m at the point if I’m not training, I’m paying someone else to do it. The budget doesn’t have room for a higher payroll. I’ve got the faith, the family, and the fitness. Still waiting on the finances. Those of you that have cut your hours yet are seeing a greater income, what is the secret?
Wow, you just helped me with something I have been trying to sort out. Thank you so much!
Sean,
Great post ! As I sit down and write this I am on a 2 hour break from my split shifts. Everybody wants to put that “S” on our chest by having that can do attitude at any cost. Working from 6am to 9:30pm is no way helping me work on my business. After careful consideration I am now cutting my workload down to the AM’s. It’s just not worth it. And I am holding the leash so I know its up to me and not my clients. I produce a great product and know it. Its time to be a little more exclusive!Thanks for bring clarity to my thought on this subject.
Awesome Trevor! Good stuff!
Very good Dave! Look forward to seeing you on our UK trip in April!
Very timely post, Sean especially this time of year when we are all trying to make the most of the new year rush and the temptation is to chase the money and say yes to everyone!
I do splits on two days of the week by necessity. I started out as a morning PT, but found that it was harder and harder to fill those slots as the majority of clients with disposable income worked 9-5 and wanted to train PM. I still prefer working AM, and don’t want to lose those clients.
I have reached a compromise where I have ring fenced 2 clear days, all my own training times, and this seems to be working. Organising my time better has been key and I am still finding time to set up other income streams which will take more pressure off very soon.
Sean-
Great posting.
However, as I’m stalling with my EA program you got me thinking:
How can I get out of the split shift, meet my profit goals, and set my schedule to my vision & mission?
Not sure.
Please comment as other EA colleagues may have the same question.
Hey Sean
Looking forward to meeting you in person – let me know when you have all the details…
Also If you are looking to start and increase your market share and visbibility here in the the UK just let me know.. I’d love to get involved is some way..
Cheers
Great. Will be in touch to set up a call Dave. Thanks!
Hey Sean
Great.. Look forward to it.
Talk soon
Thanks for the insight, Sean and everybody here.
This all speaks to me with crystal clarity. And I’m working to implement the changes to get me out of my evening shifts (keeping & expanding mornings) and preserve my “me” time with better boundaries, but from in here it looks like I have a big old pile of work I need to complete so I can get to that place. I’m having trouble reconciling the fact that I need to drink more of the poison for a time so that I can create the cure later. It’s both inspiring and frustrating sometimes.
Wow What a great article. I have been a gym owner for 21 tears. ( that should read years and I have done the split shift thing since the beginning. I have worked my little pink butt off and have always belieived that the split shift was the only way to go.
I have always been an early bird so I generaly do a 6 hour shift til 12 noon Go home Have some lunch and snooze and start the book work and return to the club around 5 pm and go to 8pm.
I have just joined VIP and I think this information on split shifts would have to be the best peice of advice to structure my 2012 business plan around. I might just give it a try.
PS I must of married the right girl as I am still happily married and have Josh my 18 year old son ready to take over the healm.
Bring it on in 2012
Regards
Steve Gardiner
Steve, yes this will change your life. Get on it…don’t wait!