Posts Tagged ‘mindset’

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AC
Ps – for another great motivational video click here

Here’s a question I was asked at a seminar a couple of years ago that I really couldn’t answer:

“What do you do when a client just doesn’t follow your coaching advice? in other words, they are cheating on their diet, and aren’t doing their additional cardio work?”

I had a hard time answering this one as quite honestly I’ve never had it happen. I put it down to us having a great reputation, and maybe being more expensive than most trainers so we have attracted a more motivated type of clientele.

But over the past few months I’ve had several emails from trainers asking the same thing. There really does seem to be people who hire a coach and don’t follow their advice.

So what if we flipped the question somehow:

“I’ve given you (the reader) my very best business and training advice. Why aren’t YOU following it?”

In effect, what is the underlying reason why anyone doesn’t take action?

Right now as a trainer you could easily be on your way to changing lives and being compensated handsomely for it, if you follow the advice I’ve given on this site.

How many people do you think have access to this information, or even worse, have purchased this information and haven’t followed it?

I’ve told you about all the people who email me and ask about “where they should start” with X program, or how to adjust Y etc. Why not follow the exact plan as it was written as closely as possible and reach your goals? Why not take action?

I’m not sure I have a solid answer. I’ve touched on it before here, with posts about over-analysis and the success mindset. I guess the reason some people don’t follow through with the plan of action that they know they should – is because of an underlying mindset that prevents them from breaking out of their current situation.

Obviously in a coaching situation, I’m able to break through those “defenses” per se and get to the root of the problem. that’s why my business coaching clients are all making huge progress. That’s why we have so many great success stories and before-and-after photos with clients. And that’s why we have so many successful business coaching members.

I shall work on providing a solution that I can share with you. But it is all going to start with belief systems. And immediately followed by taking action.

Set a goal. Believe you can achieve it. And immediately upon setting that goal – take the first steps towards it.

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AC

I’ve posted a motivational video from Will Smith before (here), but this is another EXCELLENT clip that I watch quite a lot.

“You don’t try to build a wall. You don’t set out and say ‘I’m gonna build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that has ever been built’. You say ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid’. You do this every single day, and soon you have a wall.” – Will Smith

“If you are not making someone else’s life better, then you are wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other people’s lives better.” – Will Smith

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AC

I’m speaking at a seminar in the UK soon. It’s a killer three day event. The hosts originally offered a ticket for the whole event for a very reasonable investment.

And then the usual emails started coming in….. Was there a ticket for just two days, if you can’t make the first day? I have to leave early on Sunday – is there a discount? I want to sleep late on Sunday morning – is there a discount if I miss the first two hours ? (ok the last one was made up….)

I can tell you that personally I’ve paid for a seminar (full price), flown there, stayed in a hotel, because of other commitments arrived late, also had to leave early, and in ONE session, got a 2500% return on my investment from ONE idea….

These people looking for a discount don’t have a financial problem. They see a seminar as an expense – whereas high performers see them as an investment. In other words, they have a MINDSET problem. And that may lead to financial problems if they don’t fix that…

The Principle of the Slight Edge

There’s an interesting fact about investing a penny, and doubling that investment every day.
So – day one – you have one cent in the bank. Day two – two cents. Day three – four cents. Day four – eight cents etc.

By day 28 – you’ll have over $5 million saved (go ahead – do the math).

The idea is that major change starts with a small investment.

Now obviously it would be pretty difficult to find a bank that would double your money for you every day — but the point is that seemingly insignificant investments (at the time) can add up to something very significant over time.

Recently I attended an excellent seminar, where I got to learn from James Malinchak and Brian Tracy. It was a four day event which covered a lot of ways to improve my skills as a speaker, and more importantly, it has already improved my business a lot.

I’ve stated earlier that I spend a lot of time travelling and teaching seminars – I did over 26 events in the last year . So why did I spend one of my few free weekends attending an event?

Because I spoke 26 times last year! It’s part of what I do – and along with giving formal presentations – it’s a big part of what most fitness professionals do, yet most don’t think of improving that side of their business. think about it – essentially, when you meet a prospective client or do an initial consult for a team – you are performing a public speaking presentation. It only makes sense to sharpen your skills in that area as well as working on your training skills. Every fitness professional should attend one of these events.

The main reason I attended however, was that I am a big believer in that idea of “Principle of Slight Edge”. Basically the principle states that small changes made over time can add up to big results. Or to put it another way – I only need to learn one thing from a seminar or book in order to gain a slight edge as my return on investment. And that slight edge can add up to huge rewards.

I heard Brian Tracy say that if you read one hour per day you’d be an expert in a couple of years. One hour is not a big investment. But when you add that up over the course of the year – that’s 365 hours. Or nine 40-hour work weeks.

One of the turning points in my career was when I invested one training session’s worth of income each week into education. In other words I invested in myself. I took the fee from one client, one session per week and consistently invested that into educational books, or CD’s.

That investment amounted to 2 books a week on average. 52 weeks a year. And I translated the information that I received into action — into more clients, better results, faster progress. After a year the return was so great that I then doubled my investment….

Close to sixteen years since that turning point I still make the decision to continually reinvest a significant portion of my income and time into education. All I need to get is one idea, a reminder of something, a different way of looking at something, or clarity on and it pays dividends. In fact just being in the room at these events with like minded people has me buzzing with energy.

Change your mindset. Get a slight edge.

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AC

This is one of my favorite essays. (Yeah I have favorite poems and essays….)
There was a time in my life when I was just so focused on “what’s next” “when I get the chance to …” “when this happens I’ll….” that I forgot to just be – be in the moment and enjoy the journey.
After cancer, I now make a point to always enjoy the journey.

I actually have a copy of this poem (that Rachel gave me) hanging on my office wall right next to my computer…

The Station
by Robert J. Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision.  We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent.  We are traveling by train.  Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination.  On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station.  Bands will be playing and flags waving.  Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle.  How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering – waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry.  “When I’m 18.”  “When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes Benz!”  “When I put the last kid through college.”  “When I have paid off the mortgage!”  “When I get a promotion.”  “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”

Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all.  The true joy of life is the trip.  The station is only a dream.  It constantly outdistances us.

“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Palm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad.  It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.  Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles.  Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less.  Life must be lived as we go along.  The station will come soon enough.

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AC

The Station essay reprinted with permission from http://thestationessay.com/

Been posted before – but this remains one of the best motivational clips I’ve seen. Check it out:

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AC