Fit for Life: Kicked in the Teeth

Fit for Life: Kicked in the Teeth

Have you ever noticed that we are constantly being tested?

 

One week, we are on top of the world, everything is going awesome, and we feel we can't lose.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

In my case, that means we have leads coming in, the members are all happy and attending sessions, we don't get any cancellations, and the team is firing on all cylinders. Goals are reached, and we keep winning regularly.

 

No matter how hard we try the following week, we encounter resistance and setbacks and get kicked in the teeth around every corner.

 

We get punched in the gut, and nothing works out for us. Sometimes, it's our fault, but sometimes, the stars don't align in our favor.

 

This is how this week has gone for me.

 

It started Monday morning when I woke feeling tired and lethargic. I ate like crap Sunday night and felt the effects of it in the morning. I had pizza, and my dad had given me a huge hunk of rice pie from Easter. I try to avoid wheat/gluten, and dairy regularly, so when I overload my system with these inflammatory foods, I pay the price.

 

I figured I would hit the gym, then get a bike ride, and that would hit the reset button for the rest of the day; however, while I was at the gym, I had to deal with a member who wasn't happy with one of our processes. No matter how hard I tried to explain the situation, they didn't want to hear it. So I left discouraged that I couldn't defuse the situation or help them understand the "why" our policy was in place. Unhappy members bother me, as we try to please everyone, so I was upset when I left.

 

Later that morning, I ran our Q1 numbers and realized that we exceeded last year but still needed to hit the goal I had in mind. We crushed January and February, but we had an exceptional March last year, which didn't happen this year, so we fell a little short of our income goal. No big deal, as we discussed at Tuesday's team meeting how we can bounce back and take this current month to another level.

 

Then, I received another letter from a lawyer trying to collect a debt we previously paid months ago. I thought this ongoing dispute was solved, but apparently, there was a communication breakdown. I tried calling to resolve the issue, but I was accused of refusing to pay a bill that I had already paid. I got nowhere with this lawyer and hung up the phone, steaming from the conversation.

 

Next, I noticed a blood vessel had burst in my eye, and I was walking around with a big red blotch in my right eye. I looked like I was on meth all day, and my thought process was that I had an aneurysm and was going to drop dead by the end of the day. I know, I know, that's a bit dramatic, but with how the week was going, anything was possible.

 

That said, none of those instances hurt as much as the comment I got from a member after one of our sessions on Monday night. She came up to me after the workout and asked, "Hey coach, is everything okay? You seemed a little off tonight. You weren't as hyped up as you usually are."

 

I said that I was okay, and because I was the "off mic" coach, I wanted to do more observing and coaching than motivating and firing people up, as that's the "on mic" coach's job. She accepted my explanation and gave me a high five before walking off the floor.

 

That not only hurt, but it was a kick in the ass for me as I never want to be noticeably distracted while at work, and subconsciously, I must have been because a member noticed. So, instead of disputing in my head that I was off my game, I took that feedback and ran with it. I reset and stepped up the energy for the next session and brought my A-game back into play.

 

We have a policy where team members can talk about their problems to each other rather than to the members. We are here to listen to our members' problems, not the other way around. You come to Providence Fit Body Boot Camp to experience the best 30 minutes of your day, NOT to provide therapy to the coaches. Therefore I do my best to hide it and flip the switch when I am in a bad way. Obviously, I didn't do such a good job at that time.

 

So, what lessons can we all learn from having a bad week? We will all have them from time to time.

 

1. Never adopt the victim mindset. I never once asked myself, "Why does this keep happening to me?" Instead, I thought, "Is this all happening BECAUSE of me?" Being tired on Monday morning was a consequence of my bad eating Sunday night, but the other circumstances were out of my control. Therefore, I knew I needed to cope with the situation and concentrate on the factors that mattered most and were in my control.

2. Get back up as fast as you get knocked down. I compensated for my issues with some killer workouts and kept my nutrition flawless all week. I spent more time at the gym rallying the team and giving high-fives to the members. By doing this, I eliminated all anxiety I had built up, as action beats anxiety.  

3. When you take feedback the right way, it will turn into improvement. I got a slap in the face in a good way, as the member who asked if I was okay said it with a smile. Sometimes feedback hurts, but you need to take it in stride and take steps in the right direction as opposed to being irrational, reactive, and insulted.

4. Develop your emotional discipline muscles, and don't react negatively when things don't go your way. Instead of jumping in bed and pulling the covers over your head or arguing with people, take a breath and analyze the situation so you can find solutions rather than enhancing your problems.

5. Accept the fact that life isn't always sunshine and rainbows. Don't project problems; just be ready for them when they arrive. Don't look and expect things to go wrong, as that's a defeatist attitude. However, we need to realize that it's not a perfect world, and shit happens from time to time.

 

So, if you have a bad week, don't worry—you will have many more. It's not whether things are going to happen to us; it's about how we are going to handle them when they do.

 

Remember, the more resilient you become, the faster you will bounce back from unfavorable situations when they happen.

 

Get a workout, take a few deep breaths, do something productive, read, drink plenty of water, and eat good quality food.

 

These things will not only take your mind off the situation but will also strengthen you for the next round of adversity you will face!

 

Stay strong,

Coach Matt