A good trainer serves the client well during the workout, a great trainer serves the client well before, during and after the workout, but an extraordinary trainer does all that and makes such an impact on the client that it's almost as if the trainer is ever-present the client's mind, behaviors and decisions. But as we crave the gratification of making a significant difference in someone else's life, we may forget to make a difference in our own.
Look around. It's not uncommon to see successful people pouring so much into their jobs that eventually all that's left is emptiness, and burnout occurs. Remember to fill your cup often. Play basketball or "Rock Band." Go out with friends. Get your own workout regularly. Get a massage. Read a sappy book. Ride a bike or a sled. Be silly. Sleep. Take time to do nothing. Treat yourself as well as you do your clients, and insist on recovery time. Be your own coach, and don't let yourself slide.
Without a fulfilled "you," you don't serve anyone well. And your extraordinary career becomes brief flash in a dark night, rather than a sustained glow that emanates for decades.
Jan. 29 2009
