Feedback Form

Lessons from the Gym that Can Help Your Business

Lessons from the Gym that Can Help Your Business

I belonged to a gym for years and rarely made it there despite all my best intentions. Every month, the membership fee on my credit card reminded me how I'd failed to follow through yet again.

Then last year I had major surgery. What a wakeup call to pay more attention to my health! It took 4 months to fully recover and I decided that no amount of wishing and promising was going to get me to the gym until I did something different. So, I purchased 50 training sessions with a personal trainer and made appointments to work with him three times a week.

It's been a difficult journey toward becoming fit, but it reminded me of a few lessons that apply equally to building a business.

1. Even the slightest adjustment can make a world of difference.

I would think I was doing an exercise correctly until my trainer had me change my arm position by an inch or less. Suddenly I was using a whole new set of muscles. I could have done the exercise incorrectly for months with no results and concluded that exercise was a waste of time!

That's not unlike someone having a website and giving up after a year or less, thinking it's a waste of effort when the problem wasn't with being on the web, but with the content of their site. Sometimes all that's needed is a little fine tuning to get the results you want.

2. Having an appointment or a deadline keeps you focused.

I've blocked off 2 hours three times a week for my personal trainer. There is no way I would have gone to the gym that often if he wasn't expecting me and I hadn't already paid for the time. But now I'm in better shape than I have been in 20 years.

I still fight with the little voice in my head that says, "This is too expensive and too time consuming." But the reality is that there's a huge payoff. It's keeping me healthy, so how can I afford NOT to do it?

This is not unlike someone saying "I can't afford to promote my business or learn how to charge properly for my services." If you don't do these things you won't have a business, so how can you afford NOT to do them?

3. Having an objective third party give you expert advice and encouragement can keep you motivated no matter how hard you're working or how hopeless it can sometimes feel.

Just when an exercise is getting easier, my trainer ups the weight, speeds up the machine, or makes me do more repetitions. I get discouraged because then it's hard work all over again and I want to quit. But the trainer keeps me going and encourages me to push through the hard part. Little by little my muscles get stronger and my heart rate recovers more quickly. I'm now on my third set of 50 training sessions and I feel fantastic!

That's what it's like in business. You finally figure out something you were struggling with and it gets easier. You're proud of yourself but you know coasting along will not generate more progress and growth. You have to take on new challenges.

With each new hurdle that you tackle, you get stronger and more confident. Then you go through a period of feeling like a beginner again as you take on some new challenge. But remember, success is a process not a final destination.





Lessons from the Gym that Can Help Your Business - To learn more about this author, visit Staging Diva's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Related Forum Posts Article Feedback
Article Feedback No article feedback found.
Leave Your Feedback

Related Articles Related Articles
Important "Lessons Learned” For Leaders, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  One strategic action that I encourage all my clients to take is to look at any undesired or unplanned outcome of their efforts with a keen eye and a mindset toward identifying the “lessons learned” from the experien...
Lessons to Learn From the First Dot Com Boom
  There are a number of people today making their living from the internet; whether doing it through making $50,000 a year or alternatively through making $5 million a year they are still generating the income that th...
Ten More Important “Lessons Learned” For Leaders, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  Building upon another article I wrote on important lessons learned for leaders, I thought about additional important “lessons learned” for leaders that could be shared. The potential reward and return on efforts re...
Practice Makes Permanent
  Short Game School - for Golf - Applied to Sales!
Location is Not Everything
  Guerrillas are constantly on the lookout for important lessons from their peers. A good source of lessons is to analyze the sixty-second infomercials delivered at networking events.

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
300 rules! 300 rules!
Re: 300 rules! Re: 300 rules!
Books for the Entrepreneur Books for the Entrepreneur
My entry My entry
Re: 300 rules! Re: 300 rules!
Exceptional CEO's Exceptional CEO's
Re: Congrats Shri! Re: Congrats Shri!
Exclusive: Interview with Results Exclusive: Interview with Results

Related Forum Posts Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors
David Barr
David Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website

Jeff Foster
WebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website

Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Casey Gollan
Casey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website

Kim Castle
With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

Bernard Reber
Back in late 1992, MS Access hit the streets. About that time the company I managed needed new software to handle their growing client base and I decided to try this new product. I had little difficulty writing and adapting a database to suit us and discovered a hidden talent for programming. A business was born. With business studies and 25 years of management experience in three different countries under my belt, I could offer a unique combination of skills and my customers agreed. From these humble beginnings my software 'invoiceit' emerged in 1999 and has since been taken to 49 states (hello Wyoming, won't you join us?), all across Canada and more than 70 other countries. From the very beginning the program included cashbook accounting, the simplest form of keeping financial business records. The Dictionary.com defines 'cashbook' as "A 'book' in which to record money received and paid out". For 'book' substitute 'simple software' and that's what I'm about. Now I have published Simple Accounting, an inexpensive spreadsheet solution which even you can master. For just $14.95 it costs less than a takeout meal! More at http://www.scrambled-card.com/simple_accounting_main.htm - Visit Bernard Reber's Website

Dr. John Oda
John Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website

Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Staging Diva
(Visit Staging's Website)
Debra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingd iva.com.
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Staging Diva's

Complete
List Of
Home-Based-Business
Articles

First Name
Last Name
Email
What's the color of the sky?
Blue or Green
 
If you enjoyed this article, get Staging Diva's Complete List of Home-Based-Business Articles For FREE!

More Staging Diva
The Future Looks Bright for a Career in Real Estate Staging
Dont Insult Homebuyers Intelligence with Silly Staging Tricks
Home Staging Offers Job Security
Home Staging Marketing Tactics That Will Put You Out of Business Pt 1
Why Home Stagers Dont Need to Provide Furniture Rentals Part 2
5 Massive Mistakes Homeowners Make When Hiring a Home Stager
Earning a living by following your passion doesnt happen by chance
Finding Fulfillment at Midlife Home Staging as a Second Chance Career
Real Men Stage Houses
Home Staging An Excellent Portable Career Option for Military Spouses
Become An Author


 
 
 



Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?


Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell