I am someone who dwells. When I think someone is upset or when I’m upset with someone else, I have a hard time just walking away and letting things be. 

 

As a result, being a gym owner can be a hard life for me. It has taken 11 years of learning how to be patient and stop taking things so personally. I still am not great at it, but there is one thing I’ve learned throughout these years.

 

Motion focuses emotion. 

 

What does that mean? It means that when you have an end goal and vision for your business, then you need to continue focusing on that end goal despite what you’re “feeling” at any given moment. Have you ever heard someone say that kids are incredibly resilient? I personally think a lot of this comes from the fact that they can move on so easily. They can be mad and screaming at their brother or sister one moment and within minutes, they’re happily playing and again. 

 

Adults just aren’t like that. Over time, we develop emotions that prevent us from moving on and keeping the end goal in mind. Our end goal as a child is just to have fun and play. We know if we cut out our brother or sister, we end up playing alone. Little kids are pretty awesome at maintaining their vision. 

 

So as a gym owner, when you get frustrated, here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re continuing momentum and pushing past those negative emotions: 

 

  1. Put yourself in the shoes of a child. Think about the end goal. What’s the vision? Is this situation taking you farther from fulfilling your goals for your gym or closer to it?
  2. Take a step back. Usually when you’re angry – well, that’s not the time to deal with a situation with a level head. Despite your (MY) desire to attack a problem early on, give yourself and the other person a few minutes to digest what is happening. You’re likely going to come at a situation a lot calmer and more insightful when you just give it some time. 
  3. Don’t ignore your emotions altogether. Little kids don’t bottle up emotions with their siblings. You shouldn’t either. Healthy control of your emotions definitely doesn’t mean suppressing them. It does mean expressing them calmly and respectfully. 

 

So, whether it’s a staff member, parent in the gym or your spouse (some of us own the gym with spouses!) take a moment and re-set your eyes on the goal. Don’t let anything deter you from reaching your goal. Keep moving forward, because your forward-moving motion will help you focus emotion.