By Rhiannon Reynolds
I sat down with my boss the other day, in a mandatory meeting we have every few months. The meeting usually consists of monthly performance for the company, numbers, and a whole lot of corporate stuff. Needless to say, I don’t usually look forward to these meetings – they tend to be a bit monotonous. Yet, in any profession, I realize these are a must. Although these meetings are unvaried, it’s a small price to pay at a job that I enjoy so much. Wednesday’s meeting, however, took a different turn.
Right when I sat down, I was already making a mental list of other things I needed to do. But then my boss pulled out a goal sheet I made in January. As he was outlining and comparing my performance from January until now, I was blown away by the amount I had improved. I had written that I wanted $17,000 more in my earnings than I had the previous year. But I had already surpassed $20,000 more, and am looking at my first annual bonus. I had stated that I wanted to achieve the highest tier in the personal training structure. I am now currently going through that exact promotion process. I wanted to be one of the top 10 performing trainers in our department. I’ve been maintaining top 5 for the past 7 months. So, what did we do after he showed me that? I was so pumped that I made another goal sheet, and am determined to put my head down, work my ass off, and exceed those no matter what.
As for my training, last month’s cycle of all triples worked out extremely well. My upper back/shoulder/neck rehab has gone beautifully as well. I’m not in any pain (yet), I’m working out some kinks in my lifting, and I’m enjoying life. There is no place I’d rather be right now. Of course, I want to do so much more with my life, but I understand it doesn’t happen overnight. Attaining goals takes time, patience, and a ton of hard work. But if you use all three of those tools, you will get there. I had realized I was performing a little better at work, but didn’t think I had done that well, all because I didn’t panic the entire time. I didn’t let the numbers stress me out: I focused and just worked. From the way I’ve written it, you may think that I’ve had no hiccups along the way; the climb was always up. I think we all know the truth behind that – always one step forward, two steps back. I’m so excited for what the future will bring, now that I’m confident that I can triumph. Surround yourself with the right people and a supportive environment, and it will work miracles for you and your life.
The time is growing near for my next training meet. I am getting the “itch” to get back onto the platform. The weight cut is going well so far (slow and steady), and I’m still getting stronger. I’m enjoying how my body feels at this weight, and really like the transformation I’ve seen thus far. 5 more weeks until I step on the “official” scale again. 5 more weeks until I lift in front of judges with an Eleiko bar again. Can’t wait.