Being a fitness professional comes with many challenges. Not only do fitness professionals manage all aspects of client management, like programming workouts, scheduling check-ins, providing motivation and coaching, booking follow-ups, overseeing food journals, instructing movements and offering encouragement (just to name a few), they also have to manage the business as a whole. Fitness business owners need to find that perfect balance. This is where the 7 P’s of Progress comes in.

As a fit pro, you have to understand and execute all aspects of the business and on top of that you have to be your own marketing manager, social media manager, client manager, time manager, and the list goes on and on! Not to mention, you might even have a family to take care of. Geesh! How do you accomplish all of this?

Well, you have to know your purpose, make a plan, create a process, prioritize, be proactive, maintain productivity, and never forget about the people! I call them the 7 P’s of Progress.

Purpose

The first P in the 7 P’s of Progress, is purpose. Listen, I get it! You have so many things pulling on you. For me, it’s my husband, my two-year-old twins, my business, my family, my friends, and my own body. I can barely fit in time for self care. I’m sure you have your own list of things! Your life is probably hectic, and you’re probably wondering how to juggle it all. Well, we have to work at it because in order to progress to success, you have must have a system in place to keep you focused on the goal.

Focus on the ultimate goal

What is your ultimate goal? What is the reason you decided to become a fitness professional? Why do you wake up every day, and do what you do? What is the driving force that keeps you motivated when things get difficult? If you’re able to answer these questions, you’ve most likely already established your purpose, which is great! Knowing your “why” is the first step in developing a business strategy that will bring you the kind of success that you want. If you don’t know what you want, or why you are doing this, how can you create an effective plan that will bring you closer to your goal? You can’t! So, before you do anything else, take some time to define your purpose.

Plan

Once you’ve defined your purpose, it’s time to work on your plan. It’s one thing to know the goal, but if you don’t have a clear pathway to the goal, you will mostly likely have a difficult time achieving it. Your plan doesn’t have to be extremely specific or prescriptive, but you need a checklist to help guide you to the finish line. This plan should consist of both short-term and long-term tasks. Personally, I use a whiteboard. On this board I have the long-term goals and under each one I’ve set short-term goals. The short-terms goals then become daily tasks that I need to accomplish each day in order to get myself closer to my overall goals.

Process

These daily tasks are my process. How do I get from point A to point B? I follow the process I’ve laid out for myself every single day. Your process must be specific. How much time will you spend with clients each day or week? In terms of marketing, how much time will you devote to this department, and what platforms will you use? Can you streamline your business to maximize time? What does your daily schedule look like? Do you even have a schedule?

Let’s be honest, you cannot just wing it in business. You must have a process and you need to prioritize each task. That’s why process is very important in the 7 P’s of Progress.

Productivity + Proactivity

Being a procrastinator and being a professional do not work well together. Not only do you have to be productive, you have to be proactive! Your plan needs to be visible! You need to see it every day when you wake up. You need to be able to check off the things you’ve accomplished at the end of each day. Plan ahead for your week and stay on top of your tasks. Don’t take your time for granted, use it wisely because at the end of the day, you can’t celebrate the things you didn’t do.

People

It’s all about your customers and your team

And finally, the last P of the 7 P’s of Progress, is people. Never forget that your business is about the people. The people you serve (your clients!), and the people who serve alongside you (your team!). You can’t have a successful business without people.

Your network should consist of like-minded people who’ve had their own successes that you can learn from. One of the best things you can do for yourself is position yourself to learn from people who are where you want to be. If you want to own your own gym, you probably should connect yourself with a gym owner who you can observe and learn from—they might even be willing to guide you in the right direction! You’ll also need people who can help you with your plan. If you’re not social media savvy, you need to know someone who is. People make the plan possible!

Your success hinges on what you do every single day. Know your purpose, create the plan, follow the process, prioritize your tasks, be proactive and productive, and make sure you have the right people in your corner. Your dream is not impossible, but it will take some effort. Starting with the 7 P’s of Progress is the first step!