I’m a personal trainer. I have clients who are kids and teens on up to their 60’s and beyond. I love helping people get stronger and healthier. It’s the athlete in me that believes that no matter where you are in life you can always improve. I was taught early on by coaches and my parents not to rest on successes you’ve had in the past. There are always new challenges to meet and different successes to be had. A healthy attitude toward personal improvement keeps us vital, happy, and engaged throughout our lives.
My favorite type of client to work with is someone who comes to me with goals in mind and the spirit to do what it takes to achieve them. That combination is like gold because it often means this client has taken a look at themselves, knows where they are, and has at least a moderate level of self awareness. But the willingness to take a hard look at one’s self doesn’t come easy to some people. Counselors call it self awareness, Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, calls it ‘looking at the brutal facts’, Aikidoist and author, Richard Heckler, calls it ‘rigorous self-examination.’ Whatever we choose to call it-it boils down to this; to make positive changes in yourself, your relationship, your family, or your organization, you have to be willing to see current reality clearly and you have to be willing to take responsibility for your actions. When you step back and view your situation with a larger perspective you can see the whole picture and your role in the dynamic. Everyone has a relationship with himself or herself. If you allow your internal dialogue to be negative or misguided, you will have problems with motivation and taking responsibility for your actions. Keep your internal dialogue positive and self directed—point no fingers and relate everything back to what you can do to make things better. It may sound fluffy, but it works. Study some of the greatest people throughout history and you’ll notice they made a habit of it.
Once you’ve got a handle on you current reality it’s time to do something about it. An action plan will help—just write down what you will do and put a deadline with it—them begin to work the plan. You don’t have to go it alone, a trusted friend or advisor can be very helpful during this type of exercise.