It’s always interesting at this time of year to see how crowded the gym gets with people acting on their New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get into shape. Then in about a month or so it will calm down to around the level it was before the holidays. Some people stay with it, but many struggle for consistency and eventually drop off. I have been one of those people many times over the years… until I hired a personal trainer.
As a result, I have been going to the gym consistently for the past 4+ years. I am sure it is the best investment I have ever made in my health and well-being. While I certainly am not ‘chisled’ by any stretch of the imagination, I am definitely in the best physical shape of my life (at least since boot camp). I have an outstanding trainer, Karen Lauth at 24 hour fitness in Ballinger. She not only gets me to come to the gym (at ridiculously early morning hours), she gets me to do things I would never choose to do on my own; and for those things that I would do on my own, she gets me to do a lot more of them than I would ever do without her standing there pushing me. The results are real – and are paying off in a variety of ways. Now…
Do I know how important exercise is on the quality of my life? Yes…
Do I know how to lift weights, use a treadmill, do crunches and push-ups? Yes …
Do I know how much better I will feel every day if I exercise regularly? Yes …
Do I know that if I don’t exercise regularly I would probably have a shorter life? Yes…
So why don’t I (and millions of others like me) do this on our own? That’s a question for the psychologists. I just know that with external accountability I get results. We see very visible evidence of this weekly on the popular show “Biggest Loser.”
The personal trainer effect certainly doesn’t just apply to exercise. When I use this example in talks I give to business owners and CEO’s, I always get a lot of knowing smiles and nods. Most business people I know are very smart. They often know what they should be doing to grow their business and prepare for an exit or succession. It’s just extremely difficult to make this happen without some external accountability.
Want Results? Get Accountability…
Happy New Year – maybe I’ll see you at the gym?
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