Last years post, “Milestone” was one of my most popular posts in the 3 years I have been blogging and probably 6 or 7 years I have been writing a newsletter!  So I figured I would follow it up with a new type of birthday address.  Last year it was all about reflection.  This year is all about moving forward.

This past year has been a year of transition for me and I think it has been for many people.  It seems in the current state of the world people are looking a lot closer at what is most important in life.   Myself included.  This post is about what is important to me.

Our purpose at All 4 Sports and Fitness is to generate and support healthy lifestyles in the surrounding community through sports and fitness programming, service, and education.  Whether it be an advertisement that goes out, a speed training program we run for a lacrosse team, or hiring a person to run the children’s fitness program… that has been the idea that drives any action we take.

The more I think about this lately the more I realize that we are not in the “gym” business any more.  The access model is long gone and although the low cost “big box” gyms will still attract people who want to pay for something and not use it…. I don’t think that is the long term strategy that people need right now.

Here is the problem.

The old model only provides people with a place to work out but we all know that does not guarantee results.  A lot needs to happen for you to get what you want out of a membership.  While we are on this subject of results, lets define that for a moment because I think that is where most of us set ourselves up for failure.  I think most people define results as changing something about themselves that they don’t like.  Problem is that the entire time that they are working on changing it they are completely focused on what they don’t like.  When you focus on something with that kind of energy it makes it extremely difficult to change.

Can you start to see how this has been a problem?  We have the wrong motivation from the start and couple that with a “body building” focused gym environment… Maybe this is why only 16% of Americans have joined a health club and we are the fattest nation in the world!!

Down the road I have heard that the solution may be using technology to track the activity levels and intensity of people to give them a financial motivation (lower insurance premiums) to live a fit and active lifestyle…..  Or maybe even having the companies pay for everyone’s healthy costs like memberships and trainers…. But until that time people must be motivated for themselves.

My goal this year is to set up the optimal environment for that to happen.

Do I have any idea how I am going to do that?  Not a clue!!  But I do know it is going to be fun!!