7 Steps Of Clarity

FITNESSPRENEUR’S LIFE

7 STEPS OF CLARITY

In my business and personal life, I’m always searching for clarity. I don’t accept whatever is on the surface. I don’t let others tell me what something is all about. I’m always looking to get clear on what’s behind everything. I don’t settle and I tell my teammates not to settle either.

I look to what’s beyond the horizon, what’s possible. And my expectation of anyone that works with me is for them to move the needle within themselves and the people we serve.

I got on a call recently with Julie Voris from Indiana Beachbody and her team. They wanted to hear my thoughts on clarity and how to achieve it. There’s so much talk within the industry of how to grow your

client base and increase sales. But none of that is possible until you get clear about the true mission of your work.

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ALWAYS SEARCH FOR CLARITY

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That’s the first thing I mention that throws people off guard. Most people think that we’re in the business of selling programs or protein bars. Wrong. That kind of thinking only proves my point that too many of us aren’t clear on what we’re really meant to be doing.

The challenge with all this is how to stand out in a sea of sameness. What are we offering that makes us so special? The answer won’t reveal itself to you until you find that necessary clarity.

Over my long career, I’ve worked in gyms and owned my very own studio. But it wasn’t until I went into the business of teaching values that I discovered a very important life change. I don’t train bodies, I teach minds. I teach discovery. I make it my mission to position my trainers in a different way in order to be a whole other animal that clients experience.

That’s how you go beyond. You look at the bigger picture. You imagine what important

transformational ideas people will want to take with them after they’ve left your gym.

Now the downside to this is that the enormity of it all can seem like a lot. When you realize that we are essentially healthcare workers tasked with giving the gift of life to clients, well that makes some trainers knees buckle.

Your lack of clarity can make you seem unprepared and since we work in a personal service business, you’ll lose the trust of clients and co-workers if you don’t seem confident in what you’re doing. Clarity breeds confidence.

It used to be that training people was enough. Get the certification, know which parts of the body to work on and you’re done. The business and marketing side is what intimidates many trainers and entrepreneurs. I know it really scared me at first.

But the reality of our industry is that there are so many boot camps and studios that the ones that are owned by entrepreneurs who master the business side are the only ones who will make significant money. You’re in the game, why not make the best of it?

You have to be clear on yourself and your work. You need to know what values you’re presenting. If that doesn’t come easily to you or you need a blueprint for how to achieve clarity, here are seven steps to help you do that.


2FITNESSPRENEUR’S LIFE: 7 STEPS OF CLARITY



















It’s the most basic philosophical question that’s been with us since day one: What are you doing here?

That’s really a question that’s so basic and yet so complicated. To be honest, most people go through their whole lives not knowing what their purpose or mission in life is.

It’s also the fundamental question you need to ask about your business. Simply put, you need to get clear on what your mission is before you can do anything. You wouldn’t leave your house without knowing where you’re going first, right?

Most people immediately start putting pressure on themselves at this point in the process. They think, a mission? That’s huge! That’s the whole enchilada! I better get this right!

STEP 1: CLARITY OF YOUR WHY, VISION, MISSION

















But before you get it right, you need to keep it simple. Most missions are as simple as they come. Land on the moon. Turn in the report on time. Get to grandma’s house. Simple, right?

Or people start to think about how much the landscape is constantly changing. What’s true today may not be true in next year’s business climate. We’re all constantly in an evolutionary state, so how can a mission stay solid over time?

This is really your mind resisting the hard work of examining your mission. To get to a mission today, you need to look at what’s in front and behind it. By this I mean, who is going to benefit from your mission and what kinds of people can get behind it?

Understanding what your people will need is a great way to clarify your mission. I work with fitness trainers and help them with marketing and growing their business. That’s my clear mission. You may be working with injured athletes or young people or CEOs. By knowing your audience, you're making it your mission to help them.

See the need for change and go for it. We’re seeing this everywhere now. Communities are looking to improve the education of its youngsters and political grassroots movements are changing the election landscape. Find what needs fixing and go for it. Take your message there.

A sharp and clear mission is one that people can get behind. You’ll have an easier time recruiting the best team with a clear-cut mission that doesn’t leave room for ambiguity. Think about it, would you climb aboard a ship that wasn’t sure where it was going?



















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You’ve got a mission, now you need to get clear on how to get there. And nothing motivates someone more than to have goals.

We know that goals work well because it’s what we use with many of our own clients. Whether it’s a target weight or that triathlon a month from now, a concrete goal is what gets your body moving. It lights up your brain and motivates you in ways that nothing else can.

The key is having clarity in your goals to make them concrete. When I discuss much of this stuff, I get a lot of fluff in return from fit pros that clearly aren’t ready to dive in completely.

They’ll say something like, "I want to be a 5-Star leader."

STEP 2: CLARITY OF YOUR GOALS

















Ok, when? And how? What does that mean?

How do we make nebulous goals concrete? Putting a timeframe on your goal is the number one best way

to turn it from a vague concept into something that’s tangible and fixed.

I just helped over a hundred and eighty people map out their goals for the next year. We walked them through everything that they’re going to need, breaking it down month by month. That’s the kind of precision you’ll need in order to gain clarity. Nothing ambiguous, just concrete goals within workable timelines.

If you keep your goals as these airy imaginary things with no timeframe, you’ll seem like a lightweight to anyone that talks to you. Get clear by getting concrete. Have concrete goals.





















The way life works, roadblocks aren’t ever subtle. The very things that hold you back are right in front of you. You can’t miss them because they are literally blocking your path.

So if a roadblock is so obvious and impeding, why do many of us have trouble with them?

The simple answer is that roadblocks aren’t that fun to deal with. Distractions, which are the things we do instead of dealing with roadblocks, are way more fun!

I see too many businesspeople invested in the social aspect of their gym. They love seeing themselves as the king or queen of the playground. They spend their time saying hi or flirting to anyone and everyone they see. Don’t get me wrong, being social is a great component to doing our work. But it’s extraneous and secondary to running a business.

STEP 3: CLARITY OF YOUR ROADBLOCKS

















Don’t let the personal feeling of satisfaction that you get mingling with other professionals or clients distract you from the mission at hand. This is a business. This is your future. And if the personal well-being of you and your family matters, then you need to feel like the success of your business is the most meaningful thing possible.

Running a business means knowing, and in some cases anticipating roadblocks. I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t putting out fires, so that time you’re spending on the floor gabbing and shooting the breeze is a luxury you don’t realize you don’t have yet.

You know exactly what your roadblocks are and how they’re holding you back. To get clarity, you have

to be honest about the roadblocks in your life because they’re keeping you from your mission and your goals.

And if you don’t think you have any, give yourself a closer look! Success is on the other side of those roadblocks.

In all my life, in all my travels, I’ve never encountered someone who was just randomly doing tasks and succeeding. You have to know what your roadblocks are and get past them.

Maybe your roadblock is finding the time to schedule your week properly. Or maybe it’s letting go of projects or people that are sucking up your time with nothing to show for it. No matter what that roadblock is, get past it!

Get clear on a few roadblocks in your life and knock them out. Not all at once. But little by little.

Clear your path to success. Don’t get distracted from your purpose and mission.





















I keep coming back to this idea of being truthful about yourself. And when I talk about clarity of strength, I mean tapping into that part of you that really excels.

We all know what we’re good at. We all know what our gifts are. But there’s also a small part of us that insists on doing things that we just aren’t efficient at. In the world of economics, things would come crashing down if countries and markets didn’t focus on the things they’re most efficient at. Imagine if Hawaii started growing corn and Nebraska started growing pineapples!

You need to have that clarity also when it comes to understanding your strengths. You need to

focus on what you can do well, and outsource all those other tasks that will eat up your time

STEP 4: CLARITY OF YOUR STRENGTHS

















unnecessarily because you’re simply no good at them. Hey, ain’t no shame in knowing what you do well. Only knuckleheads do the things that slow them down!

This doesn’t mean there isn’t room for professional development. I’m all for personal growth and growing your business through newly acquired skills. But beware of wasting your time with generic feel-good self-help courses and books. If you’re going to learn something, be specific and make sure it directly helps a tangible aspect of your business. You’ll feel more connected with your business when you directly support it.

Remember, the goal is to achieve clarity. Giving meaning to your mission is what will anchor you to your

business. Remaining clear on what your strengths are (and aren’t) will help you big time with this.



























Just like knowing your strengths brings strength clarity, developing the right skill set brings you skill set clarity.

Notice I say the “right” skill set. That’s an important distinction to make. Too often I see people working on stuff that just doesn’t help them at the end of the day. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, I’ve got a real problem with generic random personal development.

Don’t get me wrong. The feel-good stuff is important and helpful for some people. But when it comes to moving your business forward and feeling confident, you need to work on specific skills that directly impact your business.

STEP 5: CLARITY OF THE SKILLS YOU NEED

















Quick, what are you reading or working on? Does any of that stuff get you closer to your goal? If so, great. If not, what are you doing?

This whole clarity process has been about examining each element closely and honestly. You’ve gotten clear on your specific mission with specific goals. You’ve identified the specific roadblocks and your specific strengths that will help you overcome them. It’s now time to work on the specific skill set that you'll deploy against those roadblocks and distractions.

Working on the right skill set builds your confidence because it strengthens exactly what’s needed now. You don’t need to go over the same old things that you’ve already covered a million times. You’ve got those.

The simple litmus test that determines which skill set is “right” is determining if that skill set increases your ability to scale and automate the value you’re delivering. If it’s not propelling your business, you’re being trapped under a ceiling.

Your ability to earn money is directly tied to your ability to deliver value. So make sure your skills are delivering more value to your clients. If not, find the skill set that will. It’s that simple.

Here is where you troubleshoot the areas that you might not be gifted in. Social media giving you

trouble? Well guess what, nobody came out of the womb knowing the ins and outs of social media. Learn it!

Trainers have no problem taking courses about the latest medical developments or equipment breakthroughs. But when it comes to the business and marketing side….crickets. How is that a recipe for anything but disaster? What do those people tell themselves when their business and investments go under?

Be clear on exactly what you’re aiming for. Aim your personal development at the specific skills you need.





















Surrounding yourself with the right people is a great way to clarify the culture that you’re trying to

achieve in your business. Anytime you can reach out and find like-minded individuals and thought leaders, you should do it to build your company’s future.

The truth is nothing is built by yourself. No man is an island, as they say. So go out and seek ways to enhance the clarity of your mission. Ask yourself, “Who are the people that I need to elevate my dreams?"

When I was just starting out, I took seminars and connected with mentors who made me the strong leader and speaker I am today. The difference between the first presentation I made back then to what I do today is

STEP 6: CLARITY OF THE PEOPLE YOU NEED

















pretty big. That wouldn’t be possible without the help those people gave me along the way.

Now that I have teams of strong individuals working under me, I’m able to build out my culture that stems from those values I picked up from people when I was just starting out. That’s how it works, a circle of life type thing.

Everything that I’ve talked about thus far feeds into this. Your mission, your goals, your roadblocks, your strengths, and your skill set all give you a framework to insert the necessary people for your success.

Know what’s needed and find the right people that you can plug into your work. You’ll solidify your

culture and business in this way. That strong foundation will reflect the clarity you’re using in picking

those people. Don’t stop until that foundation is unabashedly strong.





















Big results are achieved in small steps. And clarity of action is knowing what those steps are

today, one day at a time.

These are small steps that get you closer to your goal, but notice that I haven’t mentioned them until now. That’s because you can’t achieve this until you’ve worked those other steps that come before it.

Think about it, without clarity of mission, goals, roadblocks, strengths, skills, and people to surround yourself with, you can’t move forward on concrete steps to achieve success.

If you do the steps out of sequence, you’re inviting the worst case scenario: taking action in the wrong direction. Now you’re wasting time, energy, and possibly money. That’s a quick way to feel like a failure and hope that things change instead of being the change.

STEP 7: CLARITY OF ACTION

















By working these steps in this way, you’ve come to a reasonable set of steps that will put you on the path to success. Now all those other things that you thought your business was all about (nutrition, programs, sessions) are way more enticing because they, like everything else in your business, emanates from the clarity of your mission.

Imagine the confidence you’ll feel with your newfound clarity. Imagine how confident clients will

feel investing their time and money with you. Imagine how easily new teammates and collaborators can get onboard a business like yours that wears its clarity on its sleeve. The benefits of

your new clarity to your business has no limit!

You’re meant for something more and my methods are the roadmap to get you there. Stop trying everything under the sun and streamline your efforts by achieving clarity.

When you own a business, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s your name on the line, it’s your money. Don’t waste time on things that won’t help you. Get control over what you want out of life and make it happen.

Say goodbye to distractions and hello to the life you’re meant to live. Are we clear?

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As a certified High Performance and Funnel Optimization Coach, Vito La Fata, is the NO BS business & personal brand coach to the wellness and fitness professional or company that is looking to get outside the box of the industry and start learning how to grow a personal brand online and offline utilizing a hybrid business model of offline and online marketing strategies that deploy customer value optimization systems in order to create as much benefit and offering for the customer and as much profit and lifestyle for the company as possible.

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7 Steps Of Clarity

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Transcript of 7 Steps Of Clarity