What I learned from my five year old
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Tag Archives: self development
What you can learn from “Shamu” the Killer Whale
Well I am back from a wonderful relaxing vacation with the family. Despite the sweltering heat we had an amazing time visiting San Antonio and Sea World. Now, I would like to be able to say that I did not think about work but unfortunately I can not help but think about how my experiences can help give you an edge or tip to increase your knowledge and business. So, my question for you today is, what can you learn from a killer whale named “Shamu”?
I am assuming everyone has had the opportunity to visit a Sea World and has seen the Shamu Show. If not, I highly recommend that you visit a location near you and take in the experience. So with that being said, each year Sea Worlds change things up with the themes of their shows and currently the theme of the Shamu show is “Believe”. What a great theme for what we are currently experiencing right now in this economy. I know people are struggling right now and now more than ever it is important to continue to believe in what you are doing and most importantly, believe in yourself. Beleiving in yourself is an important first step for your success, but the real lesson I want to get across to you today is what you can learn from Shamu the killer whale.
The first and most important lesson to take away is that Shamu is the predator of all predators in the ocean; however, as dominant as this creature is the killer whale and the Sea World trainers have developed a trust that is incomprehensible to think of. Who would ever think that a whale and a trainer could come together and develop a trust that allows a unique relationship to develop and flourish. Building trust is the single most important trait that you need to develop with your clients. Trust will open up doors that you never thought were possible and once the doors are open then you will be able to help solve the emotional pain that your client is experiencing. I guarantee you that once you have established trust with your client you will create a raving fan. (More on raving fans at a later date)
The second take away from Shamu is the adaptability that exists between him and the environment that exists at Sea World. It is almost unfathomable to think that a killer whale is able to adapt to different elements and ultimately succeed no matter what environment that he is in. This is important for personal trainers if you want to succeed. The best way to become a successful personal trainer is to adapt to your environment and your client. Each client will present a different opportunity and with that you will need to adapt to their personality and their needs if you want to retain them as a client. Listen, if a killer whale can adapt from being the dominant animal in the sea to a trained entertainer then I know that you can adapt to whatever client personality that is presented to you.
If you want to be a successful personal trainer learn two things from Shamu the killer whale. Build trust and learn to adapt to your environment and you will become successful with your business.
Today is your Independence Day
I hope you had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July. I know for me it is a day that I cherish and look forward to every year. This was not always the case when I was younger. Back in my late teenage years and college days I did not really appreciate the freedom that we have in this country.
I know today there is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty on what is going on in our country and government, but the fact still remains to be true that we have the freedom to choose and create a life of prosperity and wealth. The choice is up to you. You can stand up and embrace the freedom of choice or you can sit there and be miserable and make no progress towards your dreams.
If you are not where you want to be then change it. If you want more personal training clients then find a way to get more. Start a bootcamp. Go speak to local companies in your area and promote your business.If you want to make more money start a business. It could be an online or brick and mortar, but get started with something.
My final thoughts today on this wonderful holiday involves thinking about everyone who fought for the freedoms we have today. If you look back to the early days of the founding of our country the people fought hard for what they wanted and did not give up until they had their dreams realized. So, today I challenge you to create your financial independence and do something this upcoming week that will continue to push you towards reaching your goals and dreams.
Success depends on you
Does it bother you that in today’s society too many people think they are entitled to success without doing the hard stuff? Do you think that success happens to “Lucky People”. Hey, I was one of those people who thought that, well I have a college education and I should be handed success right off the bat. Harsh reality for me when I received my first paycheck and it was $18. Yes, $18 was all I made and I thought college grads started out of school making 40 or 50k a year! Well, in the personal training field you make your money on the amount of personal training sessions you conduct in a given week. So, being fresh out of school with student loans $18 was a rough slap in the face. However, thankfully for me I had a support system that encouraged me to stick with it.
Now what made me change my entitlement attitude? Well my attitude changed when I first read Stephen Covey’s ” 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.” One of the principles that has stuck with me all these years is the habit of choice. Covey says that one of the most powerful options available to us is that we have the ability to choose what we want in life. That principle has helped me throughout my career, however, I catch myself every now and again falling into another trap. The success trap!
What do I mean by the success trap. Well, I just recently read Darren Hardy’s article called “The Forgotten “Secrets” to Success.” and one of the key points he hits on is that most of us fall victim to our success. Success brings complacency and the hard work, attention to detail,and self-development is put to the wayside, leaving mediocre results at best. This is such a common recurrence and it is not immune to even successful people. I remember a keynote speech by Joe Theisman where he said one of the biggest things he learned in his pro football career was that after his first championship he let the success go to his head and felt that the next year was a given to repeat, however, that did not happen and now when he looks at his rings he tells himself that “those rings are last year’s success and what we did last year is history.” I have never forgotten that and I try to remind myself that yesterday’s success, whatever that might be, is history and today’s success depends on me.
So the next time you think you are entitled to success, think again. Success is a choice and even when you are successful it is yesterday’s news. Complacency can lead to your demise, so make the choice to be successful and continue to strive to be better.
Coach Dave
How to train like a “Navy Seal”, so that you can be a successful personal trainer
I just finished reading one of the best books I have ever read. The name of the book is “Lone Survivor” and it is about the true story of the Navy Seal that survived the battle of Red Hawk in the mountains of Afghanistan. I can tell you that while reading the book I experienced all kinds of emotions and left wanting to know more about the courageous and remarkable men who serve our country. With that being said, I wanted to write today to tell you how you can improve your training and life if you take just a small chapter from the attitude and trainig techniques the Navy Seals go through to become who they are.
Let’s first start by looking at the Navy Seal’s philosophy:
“I will never quit…My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teamates…I am never out of the fight.”
Okay, I know the Navy Seals are extremely tough and on the other end of the spectrum but one thing is for certain and that is their resolve to never quit. If you want to take one thing away from the Seal philosophy it should be you believing that you are never out of the fight. I see it all the time, new trainers come in to the industry and don’t give themselves enough time to make it stick. They give in too soon and don’t stay in the fight long enough to give them a shot at winning. I will be honest I almost quit the industry but I remember reading a quote one day that said “When you think you are at the end of a rope tie a knot and hang on.” Boy, am I glad that I hung on because after a few years of personal training and working with my clients I came to realize my true purpose in life, which has led me to where I am today. So, if you adapt the philosophy of the Navy Seals and never quit! you too can become a successful trainer