I never imagined in all my years of Personal Training and Online Training that I would be in a situation where I would have a small waiting list of clients waiting to work specifically with me.

It goes without saying that I am incredibly flattered and forever grateful for the opportunity to be this busy at this point in my career.

Last year when COVID-19 first hit, I thought I might lose my business. Fast forward a year later, and I now find myself in a situation where I can barely handle all the new business that has come in during this Pandemic.

The days are long and the work can be challenging at times, but I honestly love every single moment of it. Helping people transform their lives for the better by helping them transform both their health and their physiques, has been without a doubt one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

But…….

I’m physically exhausted.

I’m emotionally drained.

And I’m at the breaking point of mental burn out……

The Exhausted Entrepreneur

I remember when I first broke into the Fitness Industry I had to work exceptionally hard just in order to obtain new clients. From free training sessions to discounted training packages, I did everything I possibly could in order to build a roster of regular clientele.

It took some time (years actually) however once I was able to establish both myself and my brand, continuing to build upon that regular clientele base became fairly simple and straightforward. My clients graciously marketed and continue to market my services for me by the countless referrals and testimonials that they have provided me with over the years. And because of this, I’ve never put a single dime towards marketing my own services.

But as I become older I realize there are only so many hours in a day that I can work and there are only so many people that I can assist with their diets and their training at any given time. This one man show has gone as far as it can go. I need more help. I need more staff. I need to learn how to let go and delicate better. And I need to do it fast.

The Mindset Of This Meathead

A friend mentioned to me the other day that she thought I was a workaholic. And up until a few weeks ago, I had always thought that being a workaholic was a good thing. In fact, I’ve always believed that any business owner that wants to become successful has to be a workaholic in order to achieve a certain level of success. In my case though, I just never defined what level of success I would be satisfied at and therefore have continued to push both my mind and my body to new levels of extreme with each passing year.

Don’t get me wrong, working 7 days a week, at 12-14 hours each day for the past 10+ years has had it’s advantages. My mortgages are all paid off. My investment portfolio is strong and healthy (currently anyways). And if I chose to retire today, I could do so without any real hardships or issues. However I don’t want to retire because I love what I do. I just probably need to start doing less of it so that I continue to love what I do and not burn myself out.

COVID-19 Woke Me Up

Covid-19 has definitely redefined the way in which I now look at life. Living through this Global Pandemic for the past 12 months has made me realize how short life truly is. It’s also taught me how important it is to give back and help those that are less fortunate than me. I no longer have the desire to accommodate negative people in my life. I no longer feel the need to hold back on my opinion if it differs from others of whom I respect and admire. And most importantly, I no longer give two shits as to what people think of me.

So What’s Next?

To be honest, I have no clue as to what the remainder of 2021 has in store for me. I’m definitely at a changing point though within my own life and I am happy to finally be able to embrace this change. My clients will always be important to me and their health and fitness goals will continue to remain a priority to me until they are achieved. Even though I feel that I am nearing the end of my own career as a Trainer/Coach who works on the floor, I still believe that I have lots to offer with my years of knowledge and experience working in this industry. Whether I choose to continue to offer my services strictly through my Online Coaching and Consulting Programs and/or travel throughout the world (once COVID restrictions have been lifted) and work with some of my clients that I have never met in person before, I’m confident that I will always have a presence in the Fitness Industry because it has provided me with so much. And just as I mentioned above, it’s important to always give back.

Remember, retirement is not the end of the road. It is the beginning of the open highway.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance