Ever since I can remember my Dad told me to choose a career that I enjoy because I would have to do it for a loooong time. Well, I like telling people what to do. I like travelling to new places. I don’t like wearing trousers. And I get bored very easily. So it’s lucky that I stumbled into the fitness industry eight years ago. It’s the industry that has sent me all over the world; allowed me to tell phenomenal athletes what to do. It’s an industry that doesn’t judge me because I wear shorts far too often and is so fast paced it is difficult even for someone with the shortest of attention spans to get bored.

So why is it that so many fitness professionals have such short working life spans? Surely nobody in their right mind would CHOOSE to leave the most exciting industry in the world to embark on a life-long ambition to work in…HR. Or Accounts. Or Auditing. Or….sorry, I literally nodded off for a few seconds just typing that.

Let’s not beat around the bush. People are leaving our beloved industry because, despite the fact they love their job, they just aren’t earning enough money. Safe, boring jobs pay regular money each month, cover all your bills and allow you to join everyone else in the world who has a countdown to the weekend that starts about 10.30am every Monday.

Why aren’t they earning enough money? It’s possibly because they aren’t good enough, but probably because they aren’t managing themselves effectively.

Anyone who keeps up to date with their cheesy philosophical motivational quotes will know about KAIZEN, the Japanese word for continuous improvement. If you don’t know about it and can’t see the relevance to the fitness industry, then I wish you all the best in your new job as an ‘Office Administrator’.

So, what separates the industry leaders from the drop-outs? There are obvious things like differences in character and maybe style of delivery, but, in my opinion, nothing can be more important than the content.

Education should be a priority for everyone wanting to have a successful career in the fitness industry. Not only is it a good idea in order to know what you are talking about, but it’s also an industry requirement to acquire CPD points and prove that you are developing your ability.

In my current role as Training Academy Manager for Jordan Fitness, I have a huge responsibility to reduce the number of enthusiastic trainers who are being forced to leave their ‘dream’ job to become 9-5 desk junkies. Our Results Based Training (RBT) System (www.jordanrbt.com) is designed to guide someone thorough every stage of setting up a successful fitness facility; but even just for a self-employed PT with a boot full of kettlebells,  our Training Academy is a vital resource.

Take it from somebody who has been there and done it and spent weeks eating rice and gravy because that’s all I could afford – your education is crucial and could mean the difference between wearing shorts or trousers to work every day. The more you learn, the greater chance you have of earning an income from doing something you would consider doing for free.

During my time working with professional football clubs there was a popular saying that has stuck with me and hopefully will stick with you – “If you stand still, you will be moving backwards”.

Visit our website www.jordanfitness.co.uk or contact me regarding any education queries.

Whatever you do - don’t stand still!