As a Personal Trainer, you are the source of motivation to those around you, from clients, family, friends, and colleagues.
This constant engagement can take an emotional and physical toll on a trainer, leaving them exhausted. The stresses do not stop there. Most personal trainers operate their own business, which means constant engagement in operational tasks to keep the business running. These two factors can be a leading cause of a trainer losing motivation and burning out, leading to a premature exit from the industry.
I have experienced this a few times during my years in the industry and have learnt to identify the signs early and immediately address them to better my situation. In the early years of my personal training life, if I knew what I am about to share in this blog, I would have saved a lot of time, energy, and money.
So let’s explore some motivational tips that can assist in keeping you motivated.
Set goals for yourself. These goals should be both personal and professional
Personal - this can be health and fitness related. As a PT, keeping yourself engaged in learning new physical skills can increase your enjoyment in your own training. This is a fantastic way of expelling any negative energy, thus keeping you sane.
Professional - no one ever starts a business with all the skills required to operate it successfully. This is a try, fail and try again, part of life. Conducting a personal SWOT analysis can help you identify how to improve on your skillset as a personal trainer and business owner. Once you identify these traits and work toward them, this in itself becomes a source of motivation as you observe the flow-on effects of personal and professional growth.
Set a regular routine
Outside of your set work hours, training your clients, developing programs and completing paperwork, setting time aside for social events is essential. Even a little downtime such as just resting at home and not thinking about your business and clients, allows you to disconnect. This helps you recharge and better enjoy all other aspects of life. If you are happy and content with your life and the balance you maintain, this assists in maintaining the energy required to stay motivated.
Celebrate the small things
Gratitude is a significant contributor to keeping yourself motivated. It is important to find things to celebrate. Being thankful for a new client, or maintaining a positive relationship with your existing clients will allow you to appreciate what you do, and understand the positive impact you have on their life. Reminding yourself of these positives help you remember the joy of knowing you do something you love. If you focus on the positives, this in itself is self-motivator as you can see how your are making a difference in peoples lives and meeting your business goals along the way.
Reach out
As mentioned earlier in the first point, you do not have all the skills and knowledge to operate a perfect business, especially at the start. So do not be afraid to reach out, seek a mentor, or seek support through family and friends. This support can be for mental health, business knowledge, or other services. Reaching out and seeking advice and support from others is a way to connect with those who are like-minded and who can assist in propelling you forward toward your goals. It can also alleviate tension, knowing others feel the same way as you. Reducing stress, anxiety, and the thought that you are not succeeding will keep you strong. We all go through stages like this from time to time. Interestingly for me, reaching out to other industry professionals and mentors have allowed me to learn new motivational strategies that I will continue to implement in my life.
