Running a gym is hard. Like good luck sleeping hard. Oh and eating. And training too.
It's not the worst thing ever, it just takes a ton of planning and time management. Some days are better than others. Some days I take some stress home with me and beat Yessie when she looks at me funny. Really though, it's been the greatest experience in my professional life.
The older I get (I realize I'm only 29), the more I believe that my generation has been sold a sack of shit...and lies. Go to school. Get good grades. Get a degree. Get a job. Make money. And you'll be happy. To which I have to say...go fuck yourself. You're in charge of your happiness. If you think a fucking paycheck will make you happy, then you should reconsider your values and what exactly your goal is in this lifetime.
I've had a harder time unlearning all of the bullshit I was taught in school, namely obedience, than I did gobbling up the lessons in english, math, "marketing," and "economics." There's a great quote I have on a sticker at my front desk- I put it there so Alison and Lindsey, my left and right hand women, understand that what we're doing here is not in a manual and there is no book for us to tell us what to do.
"There are no rules around here. We're trying to get shit done."
I'm starting to live by that. I've always tried to exceed expectations...in fact I thrive on it. But I started questioning who's expectations- mine or someone else's? Because for a long time I looked outwardly for approval. And I can tell you from experience that no amount of approval will ever make you feel accomplished or validated. You'll hit one level and just crave more, looking onward and upward to the next step. But it's unfulfilling. It's never ending.
Currently I take home half the paycheck I did before and I work at minimum 3x the hours of my old job. But I'll tell you what feels good...
Doing shit the way I want.
Helping people.
Following my gut.