Now is the time of year when the gym is packed with people who seek to achieve what appears to be a New Year’s resolution. There they are pounding away miles on the treadmill, doing tedious reps of bicep curls, or crunching furiously on the mat towards their goals. I commend them for their work, yet secretly wonder how successful they will be? Will they accomplish what they have set out to do whatever that may be? On their own or with my help?
This is the busiest season for most trainers like myself. With that said, most of these people will not be consistently working to achieve their goals. Take my one client who can not commit to work out with me at least once a week. She recently said “You should fire me.” I told her that she is lacking consistency and something is getting in her way. I am there to help her determine what it is so that she can keep her weekly appointments. Either she is ready, willing and able to work out or she is contemplating the possibility – simply ambivalent. It is my job to help her move from contemplation/ambivalence to preparation and action. It boils down to behavior change – is this client ready to make a change or not? All of this is without any judgement on my part or my client’s. It simply is – she wants to be fired. She’s not ready, willing and able now. Therefore, she can not be consistent.
