Being a personal trainer or a fitness professional of any kind means that you essentially run your own business. You are a company and a brand on your own. This means you need to ensure everything you do is contributing to your success, helping you grow and is not keeping you back or wasting your time.
However, working for yourself and having so much free time (or so you think) can be difficult. It requires a lot of discipline and self-motivation. If you don’t manage your time properly, you can quickly lose track of valuable hours in the day. Before you know it, a week has gone by and you didn’t do anything you were supposed to do. This could also lead to procrastination.
There is a fine line between wasting time and using it wisely, As a fitness professional, you need to know how to be productive and make the best of every minute, every day! Here are a few tips to ensure you use every minute of your time wisely.
As A Fitness Professional You Need To Learn How To Manage Your Time Well
There are several apps and short courses that offer the knowledge to help you manage your time effectively and efficiently. Spend a few hours researching and learning about time management skills and it will make the world’s difference. Says Stan Mack on the value of time management as a personal trainer:
“Time management skills allow people to organize their work and personal life efficiently. For example, a person who manages time well will finish tasks ahead of deadlines, without last-minute scrambling or sacrificing work quality. Analyze how you manage your time. Identify any bad habits or recurring distractions that throw you off track. Then take appropriate steps to eliminate or minimize those problems.”
Get Into A Routine
Routine is a part of everyday life. It is therefore extremely useful when you want to use your time wisely. Knowing where you need to be at what times, what you need to do in between those times and doing this on a daily basis ensures that you procrastinate less and use your time effectively.
Kick procrastination to the curb!
Procrastination is a time-killer. There are many applications, courses and small routines you can establish and adopt that will help you identify procrastination, deal with it and move on so you can work better and more effectively. (Check out our accredited Life Coaching Course which will teach you how to do this!)
Be Strict With Your Time
If you can’t make an event that won’t advance your business – unless it is family related or a friend’s special occasion outside of working hours – be strict with yourself and politely decline. Events and get-togethers can seem appealing, especially when you are working for yourself, however they take up a lot of valuable time. Say no and keep the relaxation and special occasions for after working hours.
Switch Off Technology And Close Those Emails And Texts
If there is something that needs to get done urgently, you do not need more distractions (which also lead to procrastination and time wasted). Close your emails and set an agreement with yourself where you do not answer texts or chats if a certain task has not been done.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
With a bit of planning and sticking to your schedules and tasks, you can work smarter with your time which will make you more productive, instead of working harder to get everything done.
Managing your time as a fitness professional will make or break your personal training business. It is the single most important skill that you need to learn. This is because it will not only help you plan your days and spend your time more effectively but also enable you to run your business better. Check out Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Fundamentals of a Fitness Business Course to help you reach for the stars!