How to Maximize Holiday the Most of Your Holiday Downtime Once again, the holidays are among us. While many people look forward to the season of joy and celebration, it may be a stressful time for health and fitness professionals who see a fall in job volume and, as a result, revenue.
Clients and students frequently take a break from training and classes over the holiday season, for a variety of reasons ranging from Christmas parties to shopping to just plain busyness. As a health and fitness practitioner, I was always hoped that maximize holiday in the following holiday season would be different—that my customers and participants would see the advantages of continuing their training and courses at this stressful time, allowing them to maximize holiday more comfortably.
Unfortunately, this request was never granted. The transformation has to begin with me and my attitude toward this time of year. Here are a few pointers I’ve picked up over the years to help you enjoy this—and every—holiday season from now on.
While this suggestion may not be applicable this December, beginning in January, save aside some money each month so that by next December, you will have enough monies saved to meet your Christmas obligations. This might help you appreciate the season more and relieve some of your tension.
You won’t need to work an extra part-time job or beg for cash as a present to meet your expenses this month since you’ll have everything covered. You’ll also have time to work on that to-do list you’ve been putting off.
Have you been working on the same business to-do list for years? Yes, I did. I grappled with the tug of war between the necessity to pay my expenses right now and everything else, such as marketing and new initiatives. I knew they’d help me earn more money in the long term, but my day-to-day work always came first. This downtime might be an excellent opportunity to begin completing some of these longer-term tasks.
There is always marketing that can be done, whether you are self-employed or hired by another organisation. Do you need to set up a website or refresh the one you already have? Do you keep a blog? When was the last time you posted to your blog? How is your social media campaign coming along? Is your email list operational? Perhaps a New Year’s Challenge is waiting for you to create one to help encourage and excite your clients and participants to get to maximize holiday after the holiday rush.
We frequently ask our customers to analyse their progress, establish what goals they have attained, and identify the impediments that have stopped them from achieving yet unfulfilled goals. Our firms should follow the same guidelines.
Use this opportunity to review the goals you established at the start of the year. Even if you didn’t set any precise goals for the year, consider what you hoped to accomplish. Keep a journal of your success in these areas and praise it.
What roadblocks did you face that stopped you from making the progress you desired? Remember that our own thoughts and limiting beliefs may often be our biggest challenges. Are there any areas of personal growth that are preventing you from progressing? If that’s the case, what can you do to make these adjustments so that you’re not only happier personally, but also more successful professionally?
Make a list of your goals for the coming year. Break down the broader goals into monthly goals, then at the start of each month, set up your weekly and daily goals for that month. Consider probable roadblocks ahead of time and devise a strategy for dealing with them. Having a success strategy can help you and your career advance more faster than “winging it.”
If you’re like many health and fitness professionals, you occasionally, if not frequently, burn the candle at both ends. Depending on the demographic you serve, you may be training or teaching both in the morning and in the evening. Those are some long, exhausting days, and as a result, you may be ignoring much-needed self-care.
Consider this time a gift to relax and concentrate your energies on restoring your own self-care. When your statements are consistent with your principles and conduct, your clients and participants will appreciate them more. This can assist you in becoming a more successful trainer, instructor, or coach.
What activities have you been ignoring that may help you nurture your body, mind, and spirit? Take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect with these characteristics so that you are prepared for the first-of-the-year rush.