Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008 - (Page 15)

hectic life. From the employer perspective, trainers are unreliable, unrealistic, lazy and irresponsible. So which perspective is accurate? Incredibly, both. There are two sides of the mirror, and they are as diﬀerent as good and evil, polarized opposites sharing the same reﬂection but with radically diﬀerent traits and perspectives. Which side of the mirror do you prefer to stand on? Do you choose to believe in your ability to enjoy the rewards a commitment to excellence can bring, or do you ﬁnd comfort in commiserating with those who opt to see limits, obstacles and struggles? I’ve been on both sides of the mirror, and I’ve 9 The Nine Musts for Strategic Action 1. You must recognize fear as a restrictive force created by your emotional experiential memory and master a strategy for obliterating the restriction. If you have an aversion toward selling, it’s important to destroy that aversion and learn to inﬂuence and persuade. 2. You must recognize that much of the existing paradigm almost all personal trainers ﬁnd crip- pling is created by a follow-the-leader, blind-leading-the-blind parade initiated by a massive health club industry committed to limiting personal trainer proﬁt potential. This doesn’t make health clubs ➤ chosen my side. I know the respect of a professional must be earned, and those who unwittingly choose the uglier side of the mirror are either unwilling to put in the necessary energy or misdirected as to where the energies should be placed. If you choose the side of the mirror with greater potential, the one that reﬂects the image of a professional, you’re going to face an initial challenge, and that’s one of wiring. Rewiring the Mind Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Duke University identiﬁed that the speciﬁc regions of the brain activated by ﬁnancial promise or risk are unaﬀected by acts of altruism. Conversely, the region of the brain activated by the desire to help others hasn’t any impact upon the “risk/reward” centers. As an individual habitually activates given neural pathways, those pathways become reinforced. If you wonder how Wall Street criminals who prosper at the expense of others can pursue their actions without regret, the answer lies in the repeated dopamine/adrenaline release stimulated by the habitual reinforcing and activation of risk/reward. Conversely, if you wonder why so many trainers commit to helping others at all costs, it becomes clear that the altruism connections are reinforced, but the risk/reward center that pursues ﬁnancial gain is fast asleep. If you want to experience the mindset shift and ultimately the reality shift that follows, much of it falls in your court. Experts can provide tools, evidence, direction, strategy, perspectives, resources and personal experience — then there’s your part. If you’re going to achieve the “I love my life, I love my career, my clients love me, and I’m ﬁnancially secure” condition, there are some “musts,” and those musts will lay the groundwork for strategic action. NOV-DEC2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM 15 http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008

Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Your Scope of Practice Combating Youth Obesity Current Controversies The Balancing Act Product Profile Building a Base of Special Populations The Right State of Mind Mark Your Calendar The Equipment Dilemma Too Much To Do, Too Little Time Exercise Spotlight Holiday Gift Guide New on the Market Alyte Piedra

Personal Fitness Professional - November/December 2008

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