I would like to apologize for the lateness of this post. To be totally honest it has not been the hectic schedule I have been running as of late but rather the “funk” I have been in. I can say that it has been a difficult month November to remain focused and motivated. And then this question came.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” This question coming after a tough month and then this video comes to my attention.
As if this video, although it is the Simpsons and we must consider the source, didn’t make a few of us academics really ask the question; was grad school the right decision? I have to admit, I have been a guy looking ahead at what is next and where am I going. But recently I have had my vision of the next few years cloudy. And it has been a real challenge. I know that from all that I have read, I need to be in the present, not focusing on the future or past, as it leads to you missing out on what is happening now, but we all have aspirations.
But I have had a week since I posted that I was dreading this post. I was thinking I was going to write a post of confusion, uncertainty and partial disappointment. But that was a few weeks back, and I have had time to think, to ponder (the beard though out November helped me to ponder) and to start to refocus.
And I have had time to hit a few more books. If you are looking for inspiration, look no farther than Robin Sharma and any of his writings. I am going to pull a section from his book, “The Greatness Guide 2”. In Chapter 4 he writes,
“Be so good they can’t ignore you. Sometimes discouragement sets in. Happens to all of us. We try hard, stay true to our dreams and pursue our ideals. Yet nothing happens. Or so it seems. But every choice matters. And every step counts. Life runs according to its own agenda, not ours. Be patient, Trust. Be like the stonecutter, steadily chipping away, day after day,. Eventually, a single blow will crack the stone and reveal the diamond. An enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they can do just cannot be denied. Seriously.”
Robin Sharma is one smart man and I recommend you all go out and get one of his books. They can be inspiring and life changing. And after reading that, I started to think, and again ponder (I still had the beard and men with beards ponder… a lot). I try to be humble yet hungry to be great. I try to remain true to my ideal of not being the boisterous guy in this profession. And lately I have started to think, F@#K THAT. You know what, here is what I think, and once again, this is not intended to offend anyone, but to motivate myself and those who feel the same.
I am ridiculously good at what I do. I have put in the time. I am not grouped in with 80% of the people out in this profession who do not know what they are doing but they are “passionate about what they do.” Say I am passionate about boobs and have a stethoscope, that doesn’t make me a plastic surgeon. There are those of us who have dedicated our lives to doing what we do, and we are experts. We are here to endure the trends and fads. We are here to educate those who are looking to be informed. We are here for the long haul, to serve those who have gone to “those who are passionate” but do not get results or get hurt. We will be there for people to turn to. Why, because we are ridiculously good at what we do, and an enthusiastic, dedicated person who is ridiculously good at what they can do just cannot be denied.
Remember that there are going to be days that you question your decisions. You wonder what the hell you are doing on this journey. You have chosen this route for a purpose. It will lead you where you are to go but you just have to trust it. Be the best you can be (as cliché as that sounds). And one thing I have stuck to is, when people ask me what makes me sure, what makes me right? I reply with a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, “I can’t say that I am sure. This is my opinion and it is based on my understanding and knowledge at this time.” I will leave you with the thought for you to ponder for the week.
“Be so good they can’t ignore you.”
I’d still be a client – If you coached with this attittue – start walking that talk
I would like to thank you for your honesty, and I apologize that I did not live up to your expectations.
I will be the first to admit that I have made mistakes along the way in this profession. I have had sessions where
I was not present, I have written programs that did not get results. But as I have made mistakes I have aimed to
learn from them. Am I going to be perfect from now on? Sure I would love to be, but that is impossible. But as bumps
along the road are inevitable, I hope that they are far and few between. Once again I am sorry for your disappointment
and thank you. I always hope that this blog will produce positive feedback, but negative must be present too.
Jeff, this is a great post! I find it funny how an ex-client of yours, who clearly finds you “sub-par” in more than one way, still feels the need to read your blog.
You, Jeff, walk the talk more than most all other people I know.
It must be a sad, lonely life to not be satisfied with one’s service but still read over their blogs. This to me, suggests that the individual has nothing to look forward to each day; nothing to strive for, because if they did, they surely wouldn’t care in the least (or make time to read over) about what their ex-trainer has posted. Rather they’d be focused on so many other great facets of their life, totally preoccupied with their goals and aspirations to the point of not giving a care in the least what some ex-trainer posted on his site. This however, is not the case.
So to the ex-client, I say this to you: Much like Jeff has said, it is unfortunate that you were not satisfied with the service(s) he provided. And yes, feedback, both positive and negative, is necessary. But I find it more unfortunate that you choose to stay involved with Jeff’s services by reading over his personal insight, rather than finding a new trainer that works for you. Jeff made mention in this blog about not living in the past, and by you continuing to read over his blogs and cry “sour grapes” only goes to show that you choose to stay involved with an unsuccessful past rather than look forward to the new opportunities that tomorrow may bring.
I look up to Jeff in ways people don’t understand. I have learned more from him in the past year than I would have ever thought possible. I’ve seen his passion, heard it in his voice, and seen it in his actions. Yes, sometimes clients might not feel that their trainer is ideal for them, but much of it has to deal with our own attitude we bring into the gym when they train us.
Jeff is one of the best at what he does, and I am so privileged to have learned what I have from his guidance thus far.