Haveyou ever marveled at the course your life or your business takesyou?When you look back, can you see those defining momentswhenyou made a decision one way or the other, when you stoodyourground, when you opted to take the risk or instead made a safer choice?
Recently,I woke up one morning marveling at the course of my lifeandwhere my business has taken me. A series of snapshot memoriesfloodedmy brain. I remembered watching Jack Lalanne's exercise showas akid, thinking how cool it was and how he was a role model and inspirationforme. He went against the grain with a laser focus and wasn'tafraidto ruffle some feathers and to try new things. Much like Jack, Isetmy sights and plowed ahead.
Anotherimage I saw was from a few years back, when a longtimeclientwalked in as I was on my hands and knees, cleaning my favoritemulti-stationunit (which I have had repainted and recovered twice).Wetalked, and I told him how special that unit was to me, even thoughitwas from 1986. He nodded definitively and said, "Old is okay as longasold is clean."
Whathe was really saying was that he saw and appreciated the valueIplaced in my investment. Keeping my equipment clean, neat and ingoodworking order has served me well in my business. Saving moneyandpreventing downtime as well as the reliability of good equipmenthelpsme keep my businesses on track.
Thatclient saw the value in the care I took with my equipment, andhealso saw the value that I placed in him and the training sessions Iprovidedfor him. His approval meant more to me than just a passingcommentbecause clients talk to other people about important things intheirlife. What are your clients saying about you and the way you valueandkeep your business, equipment and clients?
AsI continued reflecting on the "old,"ââ it occurred to me that our bodiesneedthe same care as our equipment. I'm grateful that I have hadthededication to consistent and regular exercise throughout my life, nodoubtinfluenced by Jack Lalanne, who, at 95, still works out every day.Thisday of reflection was my 49th birthday, still far from old. Lalannehasbeen credited with saying, "People don't die of old age; they die ofneglect." That same adage is true of business. Listen to your mentors,listento your clients, listen to your own body, then take action accordingly.Inanother 24 years, I'll show you my old multi-station stilllookingclean and new - and working like a charm!
GregJustice, MA, CPT, is the founder of AYC Health&Fitness (www.aycfit.com) and the Corporate BootCampSystem (www.corporatebootcampsystem.com).He has been actively involved in the fitness industryformore than a quarter of a century as a clubmanager,owner, personal trainer and corporate wellnesssupervisor.
