Fit for Life: Forget X Then Focus on Y

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Matt Espeut, GoLocalProv Health + Lifestyle Contributor

 

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Every situation can be looked at through different lenses. Some see the positive in everything they do, and others can find something negative with every aspect of life. 

I have a saying, "Negative people can find a problem with every solution," whereas positive people look for solutions for every problem. You all know people from both sides of the fence. Tell a negative person you are going on a great vacation, and they will tell you that your plane could crash and people on cruise ships can get sick on board. Tell a solution-based person that their parked rental car just got totaled, and they will pull out their phone and start calling for another one, while keeping all their scheduled events on the calendar and maintaining their emotional discipline. 

The outcome of any situation depends on the type of person you are, your thought process and the action you take. Either find a solution, or complain about the problem, let it ruin your day, and play victim.   

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The good thing is we have a choice as to how we see the world, and we can control how we react to anything that comes our way. An example would be a trip to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth. You could look at it as a place where families go to have a good time and enjoy the quality and cleanliness of a top-notch theme park. OR, you can see it as a Petri dish of germs, long lines in the sweltering heat, and a place to blow your life savings. Again, it’s a matter of your thought process and attitude that determines how we see the world.

One of my coaches, Todd Durkin shared an article with our group a couple of weeks ago, and it encouraged us to focus on the positives that we have in our lives, as opposed to all the negative talk that is polluting the airwaves these days. It is easy to go down that rabbit hole of negativity, so I wanted to share some tools that may help you spin your situation into a positive one.

1. Forget about your complaints and focus on gratitude. This is a good one, because it’s really easy to complain about the current situation and forget about the things we should be grateful for. Yes, there is a major suck factor to embrace today, from the uncertainty and mixed messages from our political leaders, to being limited to where we can go and do, but there is also much to be grateful for. If you are reading this, and are feeling healthy, be grateful. If your family is safe, and you can call them anytime, be grateful. If you have food and water in the fridge, be grateful. If you belong to Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, be grateful that you have coaches that care about your health & well-being and are willing to go to war for you. See how easy that was to change your thought process and get rid of some negative energy.

2. Forget about your difficulties and focus on your progress. Personally, this is the hardest I have worked in a while. Up earlier than normal and pressing forward all day is tiring both mentally and physically. Many of you know the feeling, especially you folks on the front lines. We are doing 3 team meetings a week, and I am meeting with our corporate office 4 times weekly, plus other miscellaneous trainings that get thrown my way. It is more difficult than ever to get my daily tasks done, however we are still holding our ground and delivering a world-class experience to our members.

The good in all of this, is that we are bonding and getting stronger as a team, while refining our processes. We did lose some members, but we also gained 10 new ones with our online programs and that’s where we need to stay focused. Serving our members. Complaining about how difficult things only makes it worse, so I am up front with my team and praise them for their accomplishments. I also tell them that things will still continue to get harder before they get easier, so we need to keep our foot on the accelerator.  

3. Forget about your losses and focus on your opportunities. Yes, most of us are losing money and falling behind on our goals for the year. I am hemorrhaging money by paying rent on a vacant space, and still giving my team most of their usual hours. In addition, we have lost a few members along the way that became suddenly unemployed. However, we are implementing a new coaching and accountability system in our arsenal that will help us keep better track of our members and provide enhanced coaching to them when we are not with them. This has given us the opportunity to really dial in on our trainings, processes, and procedures, so when we do reopen, we will be running more smoothly and efficiently. My director of operations Teresa is happy, because we are cleaning out our systems, and getting ready to implement new policies that will benefit the business in the near future. Yes, losses are hard to take, but beyond every obstacle lies an opportunity, and it’s up to us to find it. 

4. Forget about what’s missing and focus on what’s available. I miss going out for meals on occasion, and not having the ability to go where I want when I want to, but I also noticed that I am eating better, and spending less money in general. Instead of hitting the market twice a week, we stock up on essentials and non-perishables every two weeks and visit local farm stands and small markets to get the quality food we are accustomed to. My mother has been cooking out of boredom, so we also benefit there because she loves to feed people, and I am grateful for that. I wanted to get something from Home Depot the other day, but the lot was packed, so I went home and ordered Amazon. Yes, the convenience is missing, but we still have a ton of resources available to us, so stop focusing on what you are missing and indulge in what you have.

5. Lastly, forget about the events; focus on your responses. This is the biggest thing to focus on. Yes, the events are happening, and we can’t avoid or control what’s going on, but how are you responding? Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Are you complaining and protesting the shutdown, or are you doing your part and trying to expedite the situation or event? Are you wallowing in self-pity, sitting home depressed, and playing victim, or are you sticking to a routine, eating healthy, working out while at home, reading and prepping yourself for everything that gets thrown your way? Are you feeling defeated, or are you predicting victory? Again, the choice is yours, and your response will dictate your immediate future.

So, there you have it, folks. You can either be a problem or a solution to the state we are in right now. Am I suffering from anxiety? Yes, every day. Am I concerned that we may never open up and be able to conduct business as usual? Definitely. Will I need to work harder when this is over and repair all the damage this is going to cause? You bet. 

However, none of that matters, and if I let all those issues consume my thoughts, I won’t have enough energy to pour into my team, business, remaining members, family or girlfriend. 

There are days that it feels hopeless, and the thought of giving up and saying “f-ck it” crosses my mind, but I make sure to not stay there too long. I know that attitude will never produce wins, so when I go to that dark side, I put things in perspective and realize, everyone needs to work, overcome obstacles and deal with less than perfect conditions. 

Nobody is entitled to an easy life, and I am no exception, so man up, and attack the day!!

Committed to your success,

Matt
 

 

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