Over the past 25 years since I earned my first Personal Training certification… I’ve discovered that there are SEVEN basic skills you MUST master to achieve any goal, overcome any obstacle, and become a top performer in any eld. They are…
#1 – ENERGY:
Your biology ALWAYS wins. It doesn’t matter how great a system is or how disciplined you are, if you’re leaking energy and relying on 30+ cups of coffee to make it through the day, you’ll continue to struggle no matter what.
#2 – CLARITY:
Knowing that you’re not only making progress… But you’re making progress on the things that matter most to YOU and will actually allow you to live the life you want. That’s why I spend so much time on this at my Perfect Life Workshops.
#3 – STRUCTURE:
Having bulletproof routines and systems to make sure you’re as efficient as possible and taking action on the right things in the right way. Structure = Freedom!
#4 – ATTITUDE:
High-performers don’t let age, environment, setbacks, politics, COVID, or their past hold them back. Attitude is often everything. Have Grateful Persistence – the 11/10 Attitude every day.
John Donahoe, CEO of Nike, said, “The older you get, the more creative and productive you are in life because you have the wisdom of your experience. And you had the freedom to apply that wisdom where you want to do it, and you can do it out of service and not out of ego.”
#5 – ACCOUNTABILITY:
We all need help… and no matter how driven you are, there will be days where you don’t feel like putting in the work. But when you have support from someone else who you respect and admire, those feelings don’t matter… you simply show up, put in the work and get the job done.
“Find things for which you have accountability and significant consequences,” Donahoe said.
Accountability is what helps you follow through… with SPEED.
#6 – SPEED
High-performers never say they are “not ready”. They don’t sit waiting for “creativity to strike”.
When I was a broke, struggling, introverted, binge-drinking farm boy-turned-personal trainer, and Men’s Health magazine sent an opportunity my way on a busy Wednesday…
NEVER did I wait until the weekend to get back to them…
Instead, I wrote that article on my tiny Blackberry standing in cramped Toronto Subway car on my way between appointments – crammed in like sardines with hundreds of other people.
That’s why Men’s Health gave me at least 5 assignments for 17 years… and how I was able to cement my Godfather status in the fitness industry.
Which led me to where I am today thanks to…
#7 – The “BEEN THERE – DONE THAT” Principle:
You need feedback from someone who has already been where you are and achieved what you want to achieve.
You need to know with certainty that you’re on the right path from someone who has walked it before you.
That’s what I found in my first two mentors – Tom Venuto and Mark Ford – and that made all the difference in setting me free from being a struggling personal trainer “chained to the gym” to the freedom I enjoy today.
Talk soon,
Craig Ballantyne