Simplicity is the essence of life and sets you up for success. Being able to maneuver around in life with a simple approach can reap considerable dividends. Your schedule is no different. The nature of our jobs are designed to be available when our clients are available. By this fact, our schedules can get out of hand and it is very easy to get burn out if you aren't resting appropriately. Your schedule is your lifeline, it is your business and it also is your personal. When developing a schedule for yourself it is important to remember a few simple things or to-dos.
To make things easy, I will hit on the a few must haves when thinking about developing a more simple schedule. Instead of training by the seat of your pants, taking on every client that asks and never taking any time for yourself, you can master you schedule to schedule times for personal events, workouts, marketing etc. Here we go:
Client Acquisition
If you want more clients, you will need time to place them but first you will need time to meet with them. I suggest keeping a time slot once per week (or more if in a larger gym) to do a consultation with a new client. This time could be 30 minutes or an hour, depends on your preference but having this spot will come in handy when a new client approaches you about training them. If you don't have any new clients that week, you could use the time to organize yourself, workout or go out into the community and prospect clients.
Organization
I highly recommend scheduling an hour or so a week to doing paper work, brainstorming or accounting. Unless you have an assistant most of the paperwork and such will be done by you. You need scheduled time to do that. If you don't schedule it you are more likely to put it off until tomorrow or a month from now.
Workouts/Food
I have caught myself many times scheduling 7 or 8 hour training sessions back to back. That will mean I wont eat solid food for 8 or more hours. That isn't good for our bodies as we know. Scheduling a 30 minute breather to eat is a perfect way to over come this. Also, we must look the part and most people, trainers included, will pass on a workout after work. Scheduling a workout in your schedule, no different than your clients would, ensures that it gets done. When trainers are happy with their workouts and their bodies this makes for happy clients.
Personal Time
If you are not careful you will miss out on life, training people all day and night. If you let your schedule dictate your life, instead of you dictating your schedule you could miss out on important personal things you would like to do and see. Schedule birthday parties, date night, anniversaries and weddings into your schedule to make sure that you don't schedule any clients. Trust me, if you schedule it ahead of time it makes it a whole lot easier on you in the long run.
We teach our clients that value of time and scheduling, yet we often times neglect our own well being for the sake of our business. Developing a schedule with events that important to us, reduces the possibility of burn out and makes us better at our jobs.
