Many fitness professionals start their career with the noble goal of "helping everyone who wants to live a healthy life." But the truth is, as the saying goes, "You can't be all things to all people." As you spend more time in the industry, you may naturally find that you attract and enjoy training a specific type of client like athletes or seniors, or you offer a type of specialty training like kettlebells or endurance training. Finding a niche on which to focus should be part of the evolution of your career.
The goal of successfully training a particular niche is that you must strive to find that perfect combination of doing what gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment and offering it to people who value your service most.
Maybe you're still navigating what niche best suits you or you're finding yourself spinning in one place with no sense of a clear direction (and this will likely happen periodically throughout your entire career).
Here is a simple exercise reminiscent of "Mad Libs." The goal is to give you a clearer direction of where to invest your energy, time and money. Answer instinctively rather than over-thinking your responses; it's our "gut" reaction that often is a reflection of our passion! Fill-in the blanks and then use your responses as the foundation for your next steps.
1. If I could could only do one thing all day, I would_________________________________.
2. The client I believe I've impacted the most is ____________ and the reason I was able to get him/her results is because I _____________________________________________.
3. The type of training I enjoy most is ____________ and the population I enjoy training most is/are _________________.
4. I'm not at my best as a fitness professional when I am __________________________________________. I'm at my best when I am ______________________.
5. My clients think I'm a great fitness professional because______________________.
I would argue that most people excel far greater when they are committed to doing what they are passionate about. We each have 168 hours a week, most of which are spent at work. It's in our control how we spend these hours so commit to spending them dedicated to a niche that excites you and keeps you motivated ... that's how you will ultimately impact more lives!
Return to this exercise when you're feeling stuck to be sure you're fulfilling your passion and always moving forward with your goals.
