The Art of Showing Up.
Free game: 80% of success is showing up.
As a coach, trainer, and now gym owner (and athlete) this statement holds so much weight. If you check my last IG feed I just made a caption that said “consistency is everything” after showing a carousel of the evolution of my career leading to my own gym. Every accomplishment I ever achieved is due to my diligence and persistence. But here is an inevitable truth: we do need some good luck, timings, the contributions of others and teachers along the way. But the fact we show up makes it all possible.
A lot of people often times don’t see that persistence is faith in action. If you don’t believe - you will never look for the opportunities for growth and you definitely won’t achieve anything worth while. The ones that succeed are the ones you do not have to beg, bribe or hold accountable to be in attendance or pay attention. They wake up with a purpose and a lot of faith, they want to know, they want to do, they want to be more.
Believe it or not the way you move, or in this case show up, is a representation of you and everything you are connected to - inside and outside the gym.
Reminder: your body is the VEHICLE to excellence - how do YOU show up in life?
Showing up in fitness and personal development means taking proactive steps to improve oneself and work toward desired outcomes, even when it’s inconvenient, challenging, or requires you to kill your ego (the ego that has lower vibes). If you have a hard time owning up to the fact that life and fitness will begin uncomfortable you will keep repeating the same patterns over and over again. Let that be finding another trainer with the same issues. Let that crash dieting every spring to get ready for summer. Or straining every relationship you love because you battle with insecurities and shame.
Truth: People will quit on you. You must get up every day and make sure you never quit on yourself.
You must make a conscious choice to evolve or repeat.
Just know we all are exactly where we want to be, our thinking made it so.
Will you show up, be tardy, sleep in or skip out…for yourself?
As a coach “showing up” includes:
Physical Presence: You can have the intention to come to class or a training session so you make the purchase, but if your body is not physically present, you are just throwing money away (And that is why my prices are my prices. I want it to sting if you miss - just like a ticket). If you are participating in classes/sessions on a consistent basis, it is only a matter of time for the results to come.. You can use time as your ally or your enemy - just don’t confuse intention with execution or activity with accomplishments.
Commitment: I can tell the ones that are committed. It becomes a priority. You are not looking at your health and fitness as an expense or a quick fix to get in shape for a season. It becomes an investment to self. A promise to self. When it stops becoming an obligation and turns into an opportunity - those are the ones who make the most of their time and it will show. These are my clients: The mom boss/wife of 3 - she finds a way to show up. No wonder when she walks into a nice restaurant with her girl friends and she make men and women whisper “Who is that”. The father who shows up for himself every morning at 5 am so he can be free in the evening to attend his son's game looks like he should be playing for the Cowboys.". Or the single mom that is carrying 10 bags of groceries up the steps to the 2nd floor with a toddler running in front of her. Those are the committed ones.
Consistency: I’ve heard this truth in a Fitness Manager meeting back in my corporate days back in 2014: “The number one rule of fitness is consistency.” And it holds true. Why? Because consistency is the foundation progress and results are built. Habit formation is real. You are what you repeatedly do - so brag about what you do 90% of the time, not what you do 10% of the time. Because you will certainly look like what you do. Take inventory on your consistency. How many days in a row can you be perfect? (Disclaimer: I’m not looking for perfect, I’m looking for effort.)
Effort and Focus: As a male trainer when I see women putting in effort I think that is the most attractive thing a woman can do in the gym and I salute the guys that walk with intention in the gym. The ones that half ass reps, or pout or whine or give into self doubt is something I cannot get use and honestly I hate being around it. When I see clients and members locked in - that shit is so contagious that it inspires me to push myself to become more for them. If you want to be on my good side - give me effort and focus and I will give you 200% of me. And if effort and focus is hard for you to come by - the 100% I give will either coach you up or coach you out.
I wont judge you - but I will challenge you. That is the way standards go. And I have high standards.
Mindset: One thing about coaching and training, you cannot teach someone how to care. We can teach form and technique all day and preach about nutrition and the do’s and do nots of fitness. Yet, most people really have yet to adopt a positive and determined mindset. That is something a client/member must decide and commit to. The one’s that believe in their ability to achieve goals and overcome obstacles will always stand out in the gym. A couple of years ago I started giving out books for Christmas presents such as “Grit” and “Atomic Habits” just to help me out. The book "Grit" emphasizes the importance of perseverance and passion for long-term success, while "Atomic Habits" emphasizes the power of small, consistent actions in creating significant changes in behavior and outcomes. My motivation for giving these books out is simply to aid in conditioning the mind.
Note: “It takes 11 correct inputs to overcome 1 incorrect input” - Albert Einstein (Let that be 1 wrong rep, or 1 wrong thought). It boils down to repetitions aka conditioning.
Most of the advantages I’ve seen from clients/members/myself are:
Most get addicted to success - People love to see progress and progress is happiness. And the joy you get from winning becomes a dopamine hit that you can control without any like on Instagram or any outside substance. If you compete with yourself in the gym you will definitely put your best foot forward on the job. Winners tend to win - in everything. I have seen clients loose 80lbs, increase their living wage from 50k a year to 150k a year and become a leader in their chosen field. Me personally, I went from 150lbs bird chested high school athlete to a 234lbs Body Builder let alone a front desk representative to a gym owner. But it did not happen overnight. "Success isn't overnight. It's when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up." - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Self awareness increases - I watched clients go from having horrible internal dialogue, anxiety and self sabotaging patterns to a more mindful approach of enhancing their emotional intelligence to better utilize the energy they have. You only get so much will power in a day - the rest of your decisions must rely on your subconscious mind and that has been programmed in us since birth. Watching the clients that are consistent pick up on the lessons and values I share and it becomes apart of them. For example, as simply watching what you think or focusing on diaphragmatic breathing. Mindfulness is a must to be great. I can’t emphasize it enough the more you show up, the more you tend to show up within yourself. Note: you can not win if you are not right within.
Physical and mental health becomes stable if not optimal - seeing clients/members physical strength, mobility and flexibility increase as well as their mental is truly a sight to see. Similar to watching a baby go from, crawling to walking, to running to jumping. The primary state I see change the most is the resiliency of my clients. The way I see members shy away from a rack pulls or doubt themselves during a back squat on a low box to them requesting for the challenging stuff while showing composure, competency and confidence is what I do this for. The big win for me is the emotionally resiliency of my clients. The ability to bounce back from emotional challenges or setbacks is where you really win at. I remember a client that had issues with checking in during her morning session and by that night she is in the closet eating a pint of ice cream with added chocolate bars. I had zero clue. I was baffled during our check ins because she always showed up regularly, 3-5x a week minimum for years. One day during her check ins her training partner/gym friend spilled the beans and told me what the problem was. I didn’t judge the client with the set back - I challenged her. The challenge was simple, “every time you want ice cream invite me and we can go eat it together - just don’t put it back in house.” Guess what? She never invited me, and the fat started falling off and she could be more at peace with herself and her check ins. Fit tip: give yourself some grace when you are struggling, but also know when it’s time to grow up - ask for help.
Self discipline and confidence increases - Achievement and satisfaction can boost your confidence to the moon. I tend to get a kick out of clients new found strength and new look because I can sense how proud they are of self. I’ve watched male clients go shirtless during our sessions. I’ve witnessed female clients light up for putting on spandex shorts after not wearing them for a decade. And believe it or not many people have an issue at looking themselves in the mirror. Increasing your self image - the mental picture of yourself - tends to grow into something special the more you prove to yourself you are worthy to look good and feel good. And the only way that goes up is if you keep showing up.
Community and support - One thing about me I know how to connect like minded individuals - most clients come to me being the only one in their circle that has goals and new found purpose in life. Fitness starts off very lonely and intimidating. But if you keep showing up you tend to find gym buddies that become life long friends who understand what support and a sense of community means to each other. Like the story above when a clients gym buddy told me what was going on behind the scenes was a form of accountability. Most “friends” I know love it when others sabotage themselves just so they can feel good about themselves. But that is not true friendship or support. Always keep in mind you are who you are around. You don’t have to be antisocial, but be around people who push you to be better. The gym rarely has time for drama, jealously or messes - if you have goals.
At Wise World we just have high goals, good vibes, and positive energy (and I have zero issues holding people accountable to our standards). I will fire clients/members/employees quickly if they are bringing down the morale of the gym.
I already know what you are thinking, what about time constraints, lack of motivation, fatigue and lack of support and the self doubt that comes with showing up.
I get it. But that is exactly how you felt on your first day of school and you graduated (hopefully).
I bet you felt that on your first date and ended up married.
Or your first day on the job, but now you are onboarding new hires.
When you are invested in self or have the desire to grow the Universe tends to open doors and bring people around to aid and guide you into becoming more. So don’t ever focus on problems without listing out solutions. Either your are going to complain or conquer - it is impossible to do both. Rely on past successes and use it for fitness and personal development. Believe it or not - the same principles apply and it starts with “showing up.”
I train CEO’s. I train Boss Ladies. I train entrepreneurs. I train truck drivers. I train soccer moms. I train bartenders. I train Vice Presidents. I train business owners. I train trainers. The truth is we all want to be safe, healthy, succesful, loved, respected and happy and fit. But some hit their goals, some don’t. What it boils down to are the glasses we wear. Some of us wear the growth glasses. Some keep our “fat” glasses on. Some keep the “delusional” glasses on. Whatever you see is what you get. And that is why I always try to cut the fat off the head because our biases and worldview distorts what we believe.
Note: If you are practicing self love make it easy on yourself - just set realistic goals. I tell my clients to pick the days they want to come in, how much they want to lose and I hold them accountable to what they say. There is no pressure from the coaching. My job is to only teach and lead you to the results you desire. If they don’t it is not the end of the world. I know for a fact I can’t change someone, but I can hold space for that person when they are ready. And most become ready when they are tired of the excuses they make. On the flipside - I do not babysit. We are adults.
And since we are adults we create a schedule and abide by it. If you have a dentist appointment, a date or a family gathering more than likely it will stay in the forefront of your mind. The great thing about gyms these days they are open before you start your day. My advice would be do it before you have to think about it.
If you have a hard time showing up find an accountability partner or get a coach or trainer - I know people who are honest with themselves and know they will have to pay someone to be there for them. And I also know people who has a 3-5 friends that keep each other in check and those are the people who seem to succeed in and out of the gym.
If you have a hard time staying motivated this is what I wish all my clients would do (some do it, but not all):
Take progress pics, consistently.
Track your measurements (Evolt Scan) weekly.
Visualize Your Goals - put some form of motivation on your computer screen, bathroom mirror, or screen saver. Note: What’s on your mind ends up being in your face.
Join group classes, or find a partner - do not knock group classes. I formed one of the biggest communities in the DFW - clients as well as members became trainers/coaches/instructors. Remember: you are who you are around.
Focus on how you feel when you do show up versus when you don’t show up - collect the data. Are you more tired and agg’d when you miss a workout? Do you notice yourself with a pep in your step after a great workout?
Know your Why - the most important part of showing up is knowing why you are showing up. If you are doing it for superficial reasons, you won’t last. My prices are the way they are due to the fact I only want the committed never the interested.
Key Points:
#1 Rule of Fitness: Showing up consistently is essential for making progress and achieving your fitness goals. Remember, consistency is everything.
Against all odds: Identify and overcome common obstacles, such as lack of motivation or time constraints, to stay on track. Understand: if you have a problem for every solution, you might be the problem.
Setting Goals: Set realistic and achievable goals to help you stay focused and motivated - understand motivation is like similar to taking a bath, you will need one daily if not twice a day. Note: No vision. No focus.
Creating a Routine: Develop a routine that includes regular exercise and healthy habits to make showing up a natural part of your lifestyle. Fit tip: long term consistency beats short term intensity.
Process over Prize: Picture the person that has what you want. Figure out their habits. You can’t get “it” unless you become “it.” Fit tip: Don’t fantasize about the goal while underplaying the process.
I encourage you to apply the principles of showing up for yourself in every area of your life. Whether it's committing to regular workouts, pursuing personal development goals, or tackling challenges in your career or relationships, consistency and dedication can lead to meaningful progress and success. Remember: don’t confuse being busy with being productive.
If you are so busy you better be able to show for it.
Question: What would your life look like if you were 10x better, 10x stronger, and 10x wiser?
Note: I don’t judge, I challenge. And I challenge you to make a choice, to consistently to keep getting better, stronger and wiser not just for you , but for the people that depend on you. And that is how you make a WISEWORLD!
