The Personal Trainer
I had begun working out when I hit 50 as part of an agreement with myself not to completely freak-out over the overpowering nature of that number. (Other agreements included a very fast car and permission not to learn to play golf, but those are other stories.)
However, after quite a few years of “working out,” I knew I needed a personal trainer because I was cheating: the weights were too light, the repetitions too low, the frequency too little.
My personal trainer beats the heck out of me. We do cardio stuff, which I loathe, and stability ball weight lifting (more accurately, it’s an “instability” ball), and at the end of an hour I’m a better person, though if I had any energy left at all I’d try to hit somebody.
He makes me a better person, physically, emotionally, and attitudinally. And I’ve realized that’s exactly what I do for my coaching and mentoring clients.
I don’t pat heads and tell them how good they are. I insist on repetitions and discipline. I don’t let them cheat. I take them to the next level when they’ve mastered the existing one. I allow them to vent, but it doesn’t matter to me at all. They can always leave. They’re adults.
In an age of complexity we need a mental personal trainer. People have to be able to do the fundamentals well, repeatedly, before trying more sophisticated techniques. (You can’t write a book if you can’t write a cogent sentence, and you can’t convince a buyer if you haven’t convinced yourself.) I’ve found very few successful people able to do this effectively and efficiently with no external help.
It takes mental stamina to be successful in consulting, so you’d better be able to build it up by dealing with your coach in the safe haven of your virtual “gym.” If you can do the heavy lifting with a coach or mentor, you’ll find work with a prospect or client to be a walk on the beach.
I don’t feel guilty when I’m on the road and don’t work out, because the work with my trainer is sufficient. I’ll be back again before long. You can work for given periods without reinforcement by your coach or mentor, so long as you intend to go back before too long.
No pain, no gain. Feel the burn?
© Alan Weiss 2008. All rights reserved.
