ATTN: Personal Trainers

How Much are You Getting Done?

An old friend of mine popped in to the office the other day and we spent a few hours catching up on each other’s life. I showed him the 3 different businesses I was running and most of the work that is involved.

He has a 9 - 5 and like most people he admits he only actually works for a few hrs each day, between espn news online and a few games of solitaire:)

He couldn’t believe I was getting soo much done without absolutely losing my mind. I realized that being productive is a challenge and it takes practice and a lot of trial and error.

So, I figured I would start a series of blog posts about “HOW to BE PRODUCTIVE LIKE A MADMAN”. Not just with your Personal Training Business but with your personal life as well.

Part 1 - The Problem with TO DO Lists

Honestly, for most people (including me) it is vital to use a To Do list. But there is a very specific formula for using these lists successfully. The first thing you will need is a dry erase board or a calender. First, sort your tasks based on importance. I usually sort by which tasks will directly increase my revenue and start with those first.

At the end of each night, write on the board the 2-3 Major things that need to be done the next day. Lists are overwhelming, if you only have a few things to do you will likely get them done.

If you end up finishing those few tasks move on to the next thing on your list.

In the next blog post I will cover time blocking, and email management, how to take control of your inbox again…

Until next time,

Keith

If you enjoyed this personal trainer business tip please leave a comment. Thanks!

Warning: This may hurt a little, but it is for your own good and your future personal and business success depends on it.

Removing the “Red Lights” and “Motivation Vampires” from your business and life.

No matter how high you climb, there will always be someone or something that will try to bring you down.

You need to recognize the people and things that are bringing you down, And when you see them, run… run away as fast as you can. Their negativity will devour you.

Have you experienced this before? You come up with a great idea, or accomplish something exciting, and you share it with your friend, your uncle, or your colleague…. Only to be shot down with some BS pessimistic attitude.

It happened to me the other day. I was at a party and someone asked me what I did for a living. I told him “I have a few internet businesses” , he replied with “oh, so you’re unemployed”. It took everything I had to not give him a right hook right in front of every one at the party.

Instead, I said “yeah, pretty much” and walked away. I refuse to have some schmuck pour his negative energy all over me and bring me down. There are millions of people like this dumbass, everywhere, take a look around you.

You have to be willing to fire people from your life, even your closest friends and family members. I’m not saying you should love them any less, but I am saying you need to limit the amount of time you spend with them if they the suck the positive energy out of you. Unless of course you can convince them to stop being so damn negative. Tell them that you don’t want to talk about the economy, gas prices, or George Frekin’ Bush!

The sooner you embrace this and accept it the more successful you will be. It is a real challenge to stand up for yourself and take the power back, the power of what you hear, and what influences you. It’s ok to say NO.

Say no to the media, say no to your friends, say no to all the people that try to bring you down.

Taking control of your time and energy is NOT a free ticket to just be rude and selfish. Ok, maybe just a little bit selfish, but in a good way.

Keith

I have to admit I’m usually very positive, and have been for most of my life. When I was about 13 yrs old I wanted to be a Motivational Speaker. This morning however I just wasn’t feeling it, I’m not sure if I didn’t sleep well or if its just this bitter cold Chicago weather. Then, I got an email from a friend and business associate that included a touching “Must See Video” and I have to tell you that I watched it and it was exactly what I needed. Look out Tony Robbins, “I’m Back”!

Its about a ten minute video, but it was worth every minute. If you think you don’t have the time to watch something that may change your life forever, you got bigger problems:)

Hope you enjoy it, and please comment on the video after you have watched it.

Keith

I’m not sure how your weekend went, but I  spent my Fri night getting hot and sweaty with a room full of ladies. Ok, so I paid to get in there. Wait, this blog post sounds just WRONG!  It was actually a Bikram class or Hot Yoga, where you basically do yoga for an hour and a half, in a room that is about 100 degrees.  That’s absurd, I know.

But I tried it, and liked it for the most part. Personally, I think the 1 1/2 hrs is about 1 hr too much and despite what some yoga guys think, “It’s not ok to just wear your whites tighties in class”. But the concept is great, the heat loosens your muscles and teaches you to breathe more effectively.

This is not a blog post about fitness, though I welcome any comments about Bikram if you have tried it or are interested. I actually wanted to tell you about a Marketing breakthru I had in class, somewhere between the downward bending dog and the one legged chicken (ok, that one I made up, what’s with me and one legged animals?)

I realized that myself and 20 other people just paid $15 bucks (plus $3 for water and a towel) to sit in a hot ass room and stand on one leg. Why, because we want to be fit and we are willing to go to great lengths to get there. So for all you personal trainers out there, you are not trying to sell ice to eskimos. People want to be in shape, they think about it all the time, they even dream about it. You have what they want, all you have to do is be the answer to their needs.

Anyway, I gotta go ice down, I think I pulled something:)

Keith

Let’s be honest, life is challenging. It always has been and it always will be. Some people smack challenges right in the face and accomplish amazing things, and others let challenges determine the outcome of their lives. In this instance, when I say accomplish amazing things, I’m not talking about making tons of money. (although that can be a great accomplishment) Im talking about doing something that can inspire even perfect strangers.

On sunday I was on youtube I was watching my weekly inspirational video. Usually, I will watch Jim Valvano’s espy speach “Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up.” If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you google it. Anyway, after watching it, I saw a headline that really caught my eye. It read, “Armless Swimmer Dominates at Meet”. I kid you not, this young man with no arms out swam everybody and won. Chills covered my entire body and I felt an instant surge of adrenalin. This is one of those “amazing things” I was referring to earlier. This kid, who’s name I don’t even know, has impacted my life. That is special. Watch it, and do something amazing!