10 years ago, Kate and I officially opened the doors at Beyond Measure Fitness Training.
Kate and I were just 24 years old without the slightest clue of how to run a business, and without any experience in the key areas it takes to run a successful business: marketing, sales and financial management being the big three among many others.
After learning everything we have over the last 10 years and looking back at it now, I’m still not quite sure how we made it through the first few years. Though we were at the lowest level in the skills required to run a successful business I just mentioned, I believe we were (and still are) at the highest level in the following areas: Grit, work ethic and care. I will add that having the energy of a 24-year-old and having a certain level of naivete 100% played in our favor as well.
We have made SO many mistakes along the way and this has undoubtedly been the hardest thing Kate and I have ever done, but I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience.
Prior to opening in 2013, Kate quit her job that she had as a legal assistant to nanny 3 days a week and volunteer her time at the gym the other 3 days a week.
I was the only trainer, and I trained from 5:00am- 8:00pm every single day for two years straight (Saturday was only half the day, and we were closed Sundays).
With all the mistakes we’ve made, so too have come the lessons we’ve learned. This week I am going to post one of those lessons I’ve learned along the way- all of which have changed my life.
The first lesson I’m going to share today is that if you’re only results oriented, you’re ultimately setting yourself up for failure.
Typically, when it comes to results or goals, we tend to focus on the numbers. Goals and numbers are important, but you can lose yourself in them if you’re not careful.
Focusing on results only, puts you in a very black and white atmosphere. It’s either you hit your number and you’re a “success” or you don’t hit your number and you’re a “failure.”
There was a period where I was crushing my goals and numbers, but still found myself unhappy and unfulfilled at the end of each day. Not to mention all the other areas in my life really began to suffer: my physical health, my relationship to Kate, and my mental health all suffered.
The solution to this was simple. I stopped and thought to myself, “what are the 3 things I do that will get me close to hitting those goals or numbers consistently?”
Answering this question removed a TON of the mental burden of ALL the things I felt like I had to constantly be doing and freed up time for me to take care of myself. When I started taking care of myself, everything in my life started getting better. My relationship with Kate, my skills as an entrepreneur, coach and leader, and Kate’s health even improved.
By the way, this one took me 9 years to learn…Yes, it wasn’t until just last year that I put this together.
The irony here is that by focusing on the daily process rather than only on the goals/numbers, the results we’ve gotten have never been better.
Most importantly, I’ve never been happier, more energized, more present, and more grateful for everything I have in my life.
My suggestion to you is to pick a goal – something that will challenge you. Know from the beginning that to achieve this goal you will have to fail over and over and over again, and that it’s through those failures that you’ll cultivate the skills required to achieve your goals- very few people in the world have ever just “had it.”
As you start to figure things out, continue to adjust, simplify, and tweak your daily process- and focus as much as you can on your process. If you see improvement, you know you’re on the right track with your process. If you don’t improve, something in your process needs to change.
This will be extremely difficult, but the lessons you learn, the person you become, and the fulfillment you feel at the end of the day make the journey 100% worth it.
This Friday we’re having a 10 year anniversary party and fundraiser for the Shaun Wild Memorial Scholarship. Kate and I would love to have you in attendance, but if you can’t make it we would be so grateful for any donation you can make to Shaun’s scholarship. 100% of the proceeds will be going to Shaun’s Scholarship. Follow the link below for more information on the party and how you can donate.
Thank you!
