How to Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance for Gym Owners
Is a healthy work-life balance possible for gym owners?
In a word: yes!
When life gets busy and work is demanding, balance can often be the first thing to go out the window. Managing work and home-life is a tough one, but we assure you that achieving balance is possible for gym owners.
If words like “self-care” and “downtime” are foreign concepts to you, then this article is for you!
Just because you’ve built a successful health and wellness business, doesn’t always mean you’ve successfully adopted those principles into your own life. In fact, gym owners are often too busy promoting a healthy lifestyle to focus on themselves. Ironically, they become the people that need to hear their own advice the most.
Are you familiar with the expression ‘the shoemaker goes barefoot’? While we applaud your passion and dedication for your business, we are here to remind you of the virtue of balance. Building a business is hard work, but your needs are important too.
If you’ve been struggling with how to manage it all, we’re here to help!
Why is having a healthy work-life balance so important for gym owners?
As a gym owner, you’re setting an example, so it’s crucial to consider how you’re perceived by your clients. Earning their trust is key and you’ll gain better credibility with your members if they see that you’re modeling what you’re teaching. Show them that you practice what you preach!
It’s not just about appearance, though – a healthy work-life balance is just as important for you as it is for your clients. When you learn to separate your work life from your home life, you’ll have less burnout and better health. Not to mention increased productivity.
Yes, you read that correctly, MORE productivity!
The better you’re able to balance your life, the better you become at running your business. A fresh perspective and better efficiency will allow you more time to enjoy life. This will make you happier, increase your energy levels, and give you better focus.
That’s a win-win-win in our books.
OK, ok, we know it’s important, but what does a healthy work-life balance look like for gym owners?
Don’t let the concept scare you. This is not all or nothing endeavor!
With baby steps, you can create a life where work and home life are (almost) mutually exclusive. Start small and work your way up to a place where balance becomes a habit. Here are some simple tricks to get you started on your way to tipping the scales for better balance:
Get (and stay) organized.
When you’re a gym owner, it’s easy to try to tackle everything at the same time, never really solving any issue completely. That’s a quick and easy way to burn out.
What you need is a system! Sit down and make a list of goals. What matters most to you? Where do you feel that your organization skills are lacking? Where can you improve? Look for areas that could be more organized and get to work.
For example, if you’re finding scheduling to be a challenge, consider gym management software that provides staff and client apps to help you get organized. You could also adjust your gym hours or try new scheduling systems with your staff.
Take whatever steps are necessary to bring order to your business and then repeat the process with your life. Getting everything organized will bring peace of mind and you will see how you can start to better balance your time.
Get a life!
Now that you’re getting organized, you need to take a step back. The only way to have more time for yourself is to realize that you can’t do everything. We know that building your business meant that you had to wear all the hats all the time, but that’s just not sustainable.
Business owners – gym owners included – often feel like every job is their responsibility. This is a work-life balance killer! It’s this type of thinking that eliminates any free time at all. When you start to tell yourself that every task requires your personal touch, that’s when the trouble begins.
It’s time to learn to delegate.
Again, a list is likely your best approach. Make a list of the tasks that you can hand off to someone else.
Are you still handling the day-to-day greeting of your guests? Hire a receptionist for your gym’s front desk who can free up some of that time and lessen the interruptions to allow you to focus on more relevant tasks. If you don’t have the budget to hire new staff, find a way to use an existing staff member to fill that role. Figure out how to best manage your resources, then remove yourself from the parts of the business you don’t need to micro-manage.
You’ve built a great team, now it’s time to let them shine! Put your trust in the well-trained, hard-working team you created. In this scenario, you gain more freedom and your staff earns a little more responsibility… It’s another win-win.
You need help.
OK, you’ve got delegation down, but what about help? Part of gaining a healthy work-life balance is learning (and accepting) that there are resources out there. Let’s take a look at some tangible actions you can take:
- Be resourceful! Look at where you need help the most and search for tips and tricks to make your journey easier.
- Block off some time for research. Carve out at least 15 minutes a day to read a book on business or personal development. Investing that small amount of time could bring a big payoff over time. As you know, motivation and knowledge are a powerful combination.
- Need to multi-task? You can listen to podcasts in the car, at the gym, or even in the shower! Getting into this habit will leave you feeling more fulfilled and increase your confidence. It’s adopting a growth mindset while learning how to let go. You might even get some tangible expert advice you can apply to your business.
- Lean on people that can help you get closer to a healthy work-life balance. Choose someone who can be a sounding board, give great advice or offer some tough love when you need it. Know someone who’s got it together in your industry? Reach out and learn from their experience.
- Need help with time management? Setting up time blocks to complete certain tasks and stay on track is one way to tackle this issue. Try setting an alarm on your phone to keep to a strict schedule. It sounds easy, but you’d be surprised how this simple trick can help you save minutes – or hours – in a day.
- Using an agenda is another great way to help you stay on task. Keeping your schedule organized is a great way to track the amount (and quality) of the time you’re spending on each task. Be diligent in documenting your daily activities. To keep yourself in check, conduct an audit of your schedule after 1 month. This will help you to determine where you’re wasting time and how to improve from that.
- How about a gym management software for your business? Did you know business management software systems like WellnessLiving offer apps designed to help gym owners become more efficient? Our Elevate Staff App will meet all your business needs from making staff schedule changes, processing payments, and even signing important contracts on the go! You can’t do it all on your own! You’ve researched and sought counsel, but what about technology? Search for a gym management software that will help your business run more efficiently, while improving your client service quality!
Conquer separation anxiety.
The last necessary step in achieving a healthy work-life balance is discipline. Force yourself to adhere to a strict separation between work and life (not an easy feat in today’s technology-filled world).
Unplugging is mandatory if you’re truly committed to achieving balance. Be strong! You might need to turn your phone off for a yoga class. Don’t check your email while watching the game. Choosing to avoid checking social media at meal times will also help. Resist the temptation to stay connected to the gym when you are off duty.
Your team can also help keep you accountable! Explain that you’re working towards a healthy work-life balance, asking them to keep contact to a minimum – only for emergencies. Once they understand you’re serious, they’ll get into the habit of not interrupting you. Teach them to discourage you if you break your own promise.
Once you’ve trained your team and embraced the tools you need, that’s when you can step away to take time for yourself.
Ahhhh, balance.
Ready to put a successful work hard, play hard plan into action? At WellnessLiving, we’ve got the tools to get you the healthy work-life balance you need. We’re the all-in-one gym management software trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide. Book a free, no-commitment demo and let us help you get started!
