In this final installment of our New Years resolution blog, I wanted to share what Ryan and I are focusing on this coming year. We have spent the last year focusing 100% on getting Scorch open and successful and now that we have had success in year one we are ready to continue to push the brand while we add some other focuses back into our lives. So… just so you know that fitness people have the same goals and issues as every non-fitness person here is what Ryan and I are planning to do in 2017…
2016 was the year of focusing on work for me. I’ve had a consistent workout schedule since I was 14 years old and I took almost an entire year off to focus on the growth of scorch, help our members get results and make sure work got done. Well it did, and I can honestly say 2016 was a great first year for Scorch Fitness. “I learned a lot” is an understatement with what happened this year, and I couldn’t be happier and more motivated to see the growth of our business entering into 2017. That being said, I also can’t wait to get back in to my routine. Thanks to our amazing coaches I’ve been able to delegate more time to them so the late night and early morning cycles are for the most part over…(that is until we start up on the next project ;)…) I’ve started to include my workouts back into my daily schedule and I’m not worried about whether or not Ill have time to prep food or let alone eat the food I’ve already made. In 2017 I will make more “me” time for myself and you better believe if you look at my planner you’ll see those hours blocked off. For me scheduling the time is the only way it will happen. So if you’re anything like me, write it down and stick to it. Your mind and body will thank you.
I came to this resolution while Ryan and I were at the Richards customer appreciation event. We did a demo for the show on Scorch Fitness and athletic related injuries. After our demo a young woman who teaches yoga brought her three participants to the front so they could begin their demonstration on the yoga they practice at her studio. The three participants all had mental and physical handicaps of some sort, two were teenagers and one was a young adult. All three were having an amazing time showing off their yoga poses, but it was the stories their caregiver told us about each one that brought me to tears while I watched them. One of them hadn’t been able to stand on her own for her entire life until she started yoga, and there she was pulling herself up and working on her first steps. The young adult practiced her poses everyday and was late to dinner because she was busy doing “tree” pose every night. The joy something so simple brought her was like nothing I’ve seen before. What I saw that day brought me to tears in the middle of an event and put how amazing my life was into perspective. I made the resolution that day to use my business and my abilities to help others. Giving back is one way to help others but it reminds me how lucky I am and keeps that at the forefront of my mind.
If you know me you know I hate the fitness industry…or what it has turned into at least. The fad restrictive diets, the do or die mentality, and the constant comparison to Instagram “models” has made fitness less about health and well being and more about self destructive qualities. That being said, I have a plan to empower people to change that. Through the right education I believe we can all start making better decisions on how to change our minds and our bodies for the better. This mission started with Scorch Fitness and will continue through resources for the community (our lovely #scorchnation) through websites, videos, blogs, events, and of course the opening of new gym locations. It’s going to take an army but its time to bring the fitness industry back to the mentality you can only find in athletes. Train, eat and sleep for performance. Whether its performance in the gym, your career, or your relationships you need optimal health to excel at all of them.
I used to shoot a couple times a week and play golf a couple times a month but the past year has been focused on opening our business. Archery was such a big part of my life growing up. I always looked forward to traveling to state and national shoots and even just getting outside to practice. A hobby for me outside of my day to day routine allows me to have something to look forward to other than work. It will also allow me to tap into my creative side, challenge me in ways that are not work related and help me cope with stress.
For me exploring new places has always been a joy for me. Growing up I would go on trips regularly; whether it was with family, friends, church group, sports or Scouts. Over the past couple years’ travel has been limited and traveling allows me to disconnect and get back to center, it recharges and basically hits the reset button for me. Even if it’s a day trip outside of Sarasota I know I can still gain the same benefits as if I traveled for a week outside the country.
This goal is a joint business goal between Liz and I. We are always brainstorming on ways to introduce out of the box ways to help transform people’s lives. Too many people are bombarded with noise and we want to cut through that and truly deliver a system that will transform people’s lives not just on the outside, but from the inside out.