Sleuth Thinking

Well, welcome back.  I now have the answer to last week’s question: “Why were most of my clients canceling their sessions this week?” Remember the bright light that beamed in my head as an answer? Well, here it is…

The absences got me thinking about why people were not attending their sessions, so I took a step back and looked at my sessions from a client’s perspective and empathized with what my clients could see and feel. 

As a client, I can see that sessions are fun and enjoyable and that they only take up a single hour of my time once a week, and tops, two or three times.  I become increasingly fit with every session I attend and feel rewarded when I can do that little bit more than last time (derived from their words and feedback I’ve received).  Chilled water and freshly laundered towels are provided for me, so all I have to do is show up in my training gear.

Ah-Ha!!!  Herein lies the problem - I found it!!! 

‘All I have to do is show up’

Those few words in the last sentence are the very big problem.  People are not accountable for their attendance.

Just imagine if we did not show up to work every day?  Would our bosses accept that we only attended every now and then?  What if everybody did not attend her/his scheduled appointments to the doctor, dentist, accountant, hairdresser, lunch with friends, birthday party for grandma, etc.? 

One, most would be out of business (and friends!), and two, clients would not get things done - they would be forever chasing their tails, so to speak.

Exploring Accountability

So it got me thinking: people need to be more accountable for their decisions and commitments. 

I shared this with all of my clients, and, wow, what an amazing response I got back! 98% attendance this week, and 2% saying that they couldn’t commit long-term right now to training, which is their prerogative, and for the better for everyone.

You may be thinking, but isn’t some training better than no training?  Though studies show that any and all activity is good for you - not just sustained, regular and/or intensive training - I can’t take people’s money without being able to deliver everything I’m capable of for them.  It is just not ethical by me. Hopefully I’ve instilled in them the value of moving their bodies for pleasure whenever they can.

So, as you can see, I now have a team of people who made their OWN decision to commit themselves to training every week. It was not my decision, and in return their fitness and well-being will now be positively impacted! 

For those who decided not to attend until they could commit to every session they scheduled, they’ve mentioned feeling less stressed because now they don’t feel like they were letting me down.  That only speaks to the necessity of people making their own commitments because each session is about the trainee, not me.  I’m trying to alleviate stress, not compound it.

Have you ever had a commitment that you couldn’t stay committed to? How did you resolve the issue in your situation?

Check out my fellow experts amazing tips and blogs this week.

As a personal trainer who's always loved her body, Sue Bary was tired of being classified as 'mildly obese' and wanted to help others experience Enjoyable Body Movement without being subject to the usual verbiage of weight loss and dieting. Thus, she created enarji, a personal training practice steeped in the Health at Every Size approach and attitude. To learn more about Sue, click here. Because you are a special More of Me to Love member, Sue wants you to enjoy a FREE consultation through enarji's Virtual Health Coach services. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to schedule your free consultation today!