September is always a crazy month for us at Twisters. School begins at the end of August, and by September, we’re managing the influx of new and returning athletes, along with a batch of new college students hired to work our Kids Camp. On top of this, the pressure of competition season begins to approach, as we’re now counting down to showcase in “weeks.” It can be challenging to stay organized during this time, but I find that if you can get caught up just once, you can begin working ahead. You may still feel pressure to complete tasks at times, but the type of pressure begins to change. 

Transitioning from Reactive to Proactive

When I first went full-time at my gym in 2013, I wasn’t totally sure what to do all day. I talk about this a lot in my book, The Cheer Gym Owners Handbook: Your Guide to Running a Successful All Star Gym. However, once I began learning how to work “on” my business rather than “in” my business, I found myself busier than ever. That resulted in a lot of last-minute tasks as I was trying to get it all done on a short timeline. I quickly found myself playing catch up on everything.

I was ordering uniforms, bows and music at the last minute. Changes to routine choreography were happening the week before a competition. I would see 10 drops for classes at the end of the month and then start running an ad on the 1st of the next month. It felt like I was always behind.

Not only did this create stress, but it made me have to ask for a lot of favors with vendors. I was also losing out on profit as the result of rush fees and overnight shipping. Luckily, I’m a numbers person, so this didn’t last long before I realized I needed an all-star checklist of what I had to get done each month to make sure I was prepared and ahead of the game. 

If uniforms absolutely had to be ordered by August, I put them on my July checklist. This ensured I was ready to order 30 days beforehand just in case I ran into any issues. On the 10th of the month, I could look to see if any athletes were dropped for billing. If so, I could run an ad right away rather than wait until the end of the month to see how many drops we had. If music had to be ordered by Aug. 15, I made sure to put “finalize 8-count sheets” on my to-do list with a date of July 20 so I could place my order early. 

I went from being reactive to proactive—which meant I had to somehow get ahead. This was the hardest part and the part that I think gym owners struggle with the most. I get it. You’re probably thinking, “If I could get ahead, why would I be behind in the first place?”

But in reality, the problem was a lack of delegation, focus and minimizing the day-to-day operations tasks I was doing in the gym. Even if I had to pick those tasks back up at one point, at least I’d be working on future projects rather than running into emergencies and putting out fires right and left. 

Getting Ahead

First, make a list of deadlines. If you have to get all-star registrations by Nov. 1 so you’re not paying late registration fees at competitions, put this on your calendar for Oct. 20, and then forget that you have a grace period! No, seriously: Pretend October is now your deadline to get it done.

Secondly, find someone to hold you accountable. “OK Danielle. You guys say that all the time, but I’m an adult. I don’t need accountability.” Do you know who does need accountability? Simone Biles. Patrick Mahomes. LeBron James. All of them have a coach. If they don’t show up to practice, you better believe someone is saying, “Where are you?” If they’re not putting in the work, someone is going to catch it before it is evident on the mat, field or court. If the GOATs need accountability, then so do you and I. If you’re looking to a spouse or staff member for accountability, I’m here to tell you it’s hard. Both need to see you in a different capacity than that, and neither need to be the one frustrating you by telling you you’re not getting enough done to meet your goals.

Finally, you’re going to have to put in a little more time for a couple weeks. Plan to get up an extra hour early for two weeks. Make a list of what needs to be done so you can get ahead, and don’t touch Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or your email until you’ve spent an hour doing all that other stuff. The most focused hour of my day is the one when all the tabs are closed and sound is off. Figure out what time of day that is for you, and get focused. 

Getting ahead only works if you’re consistently looking toward the future. If you finally get ahead in your work just to increase your screen time on TikTok for two weeks, you’ll fall into the same cycle you’ve been in before. There are a ton of methods and “time hacks” you can find to increase productivity. 

My challenge to you in September is to get ahead. I don’t just want you working on stuff for October. I want you to now start shifting your focus to November. What needs to happen eight weeks from now, and what do you need to do now to prepare so you’re not finding yourself with cheer-mergencies and last-minute fires?

Next week, I’ll tell you what my October to-do’s are for all-star so you can start working on your list!

Key Takeaways: 

  • Proactive planning: Shifting from a reactive approach to a proactive one by creating and adhering to a checklist of deadlines ensures you stay ahead and avoid last-minute stress and costs.
  • Accountability is essential: Even the most successful athletes have coaches to hold them accountable. Similarly, gym owners need someone reliable to keep them on track with their goals and deadlines.
  • Focused time management: Dedicating focused, distraction-free time each day is crucial for getting ahead. Identifying and maximizing your most productive hour can significantly boost your efficiency and help you stay ahead of tasks.