The Future... What's Next

No, we didn’t suddenly find ourselves with a crystal ball and magic powers, but one thing we know for sure is that the future of fitness and wellness is changing. 

Overnight our industry was literally transformed when we were all forced to move to a virtual format, and now we are faced with another change – navigating how do we live, cope and do business in a world that now has Covid-19.

All this time in quarantine has given many of us time to reflect and actually “think” instead of “do” all the time. And over the last few weeks we’ve noticed a collective shift amongst studio owners to a “where do I go from here” mentality.

Some are deciding to contract, to simplify, to get smaller. Some are deciding to change directions all together – to pursue a new passion or to simply just take a break. Others are finding themselves leaning heavily into re-opening their studios with new protocols in place.

Wherever you are we are here to remind you that you are right where you are supposed to be, and if you keep showing up and taking consistent daily action your path will unfold right before you.

In times of uncertainty we have a process that we turn to time and time again (leave it to us to create a procedure for how to get unstuck 😂)…It’s called, “The Design Your Dream Business & Life Planner” and it’s a guided resource with the following steps.

Step 1 – Take control of your time -  This one is easier said than done because the days no longer have a rhythm to them and it’s hard to find focused time to work on yourself or your business.  At a minimum try to find just 30 minutes each day where you can be with your thoughts – to plan, imagine, strategize or to work ON your business or next steps. This can be in the form of a walk, some time spent journaling or just closing the door to work on one of your “to do” list items so you can check it off. Getting unstuck or finding clarity is a process and allowing yourself the focused time to figure it out is a key component to moving forward. 

Step 2 – Imagine your WHY and what really matters - Personally, this one has been weighing heavily on our hearts. At the time of writing this blog, we are in the midst of an uprising around the country in response to George Floyd’s murder, an unarmed black man who was the victim of yet another egregious act of white supremacy at the hands of misguided police officers. 

Racial reconciliation is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts, and honestly it’s kind of hard to focus on business when our hearts and thoughts are heavy-laden with the knowledge and understanding that we have so much work to do individually and as members of our community.

Racial justice is one core value, our families are another. Building our lives and our businesses around what matters helps drive our decisions in life and in business. 

Gaining clarity on your WHY (or whys) and what is most important will give you the peace to know where to channel your efforts.

Step 3 – Know your vision in business and life – We are not separate beings with one foot in the business owner world and another foot in our actual lives – the one with relationships and causes that matter. Rather we are complete beings who are navigating these two values. Keeping what matters top of mind and knowing without a shadow of a doubt what your vision is for your business and your life will help direct your actions.

Perhaps your vision has changed for your business in light of the current circumstances. That is OK – but getting clear on it, articulating it and communicating it to your team and those around you will point you in the right direction.

Step 4 – Leverage your strengths and manage your limitations – Have you ever really taken the time to discover what comes naturally to you? For many of us we don’t even recognize our strengths because they are just part of who we are – they are just what we do.

On the flipside where do you constantly feel like you're jamming a square peg into a round hole? What feels hard and what do you shy away from in life or business? Sometimes it just means you need to learn additional skills or new ways of thinking. Acknowledging that fact and taking action to learn new skills and outsource the ones that you can will give you so much clarity and freedom.

Step 5 - Make a PLAN to take action – Clarity is great, but without an action plan these are just idle thoughts. Once you have clarity about what’s next it’s time to make a plan to bring it to life. We like to set annual goals and then reverse engineer to 90 day (i.e. quarterly benchmarks) and then 30-day action items. Your plan is what guides you and gives you the daily action steps you need to take to get where you want to go.

If you’re feeling stuck and uncertain about your next steps we encourage you to lean into the steps above. Figuring out your next move is a process so be patient with yourself as you go through the steps. Just make sure you keep dreaming, visioning and searching for that clarity now and in the days to come. And be kind to yourself in the process… you never know where your path might lead. Whatever the case… there’s work to be done and there is something you were uniquely designed to do.  Keep working the process as you figure it out!

As always we are here to help you navigate the days, weeks and months ahead – whether you are re-opening your studio or you are going a different direction. Contact us to schedule a clarity call or check out The Design Your Dream Business & Life Planner for a self-guided approach.