Successful personal trainers recognize that part of working with a client is devising a plan to help him or her to achieve realistic goals. Such plans are flexible enough to allow for changes, such as work schedules, that have a direct impact on how much and how often a client can train. Yet, successful fitness plans are firm enough to keep the client on course. This same concept of flexibility applies equally well to managing the business side of personal training.

Unsuccessful businesses, it has been quipped, don't plan to fail, they fail to plan. Planning is above all a way to put ideas into action. And action is what personal fitness training is all about.

Planning: An Ongoing Process

There is a popular notion that a plan is a static document, one that is put in place, set in motion and then forgotten about until it doesn't seem to be working any more. Rather, a plan is meant to be a dynamic decision making guide against which to gauge actions or outcomes. If you start to notice that a certain aspect of a plan is not working, or needs some tweaking, change it. The benefit of a flexible plan is that it can be revised to adapt to a specific situation and achieve a desired goal. So, while it might be good for morale when things work according to a rigid plan, it's important to have a set of contingencies when they don't.

An Efficient Use of Time

Planning to make a decision is sometimes compared to the Pareto principle -- a conceptual ratio that suggests 20 percent of the work yields 80 percent of the advantage of performing a task. Take for example the work of developing a personal fitness program for a client. After discussing with the client his or her fitness goals, in most instances a trainer will select from a menu of regimens that suits the client's needs, rather than a devise a new method specifically for the client. This maximizes time on task for both client and trainer. Then, by observing a client's subsequent performance, the trainer can gauge the efficacy of particular regimen and make adjustments as needed. Applying that same watchful eye to the business side in the form of a plan allows a trainer to measure how far off course he or she may be and to make corrections as necessary.

By consulting a plan often, it is possible to see issues before they become problems -- and work accordingly. Plan to succeed!

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