Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Hey Friends – happy 2016! First off, my sincere apologies for the sporadic blog posting.  We have been crazy busy at GRIT Fitness with a rush of new members who are ready to get fit and feel fabulous in 2016.  I’m not one for excuses, so I’ll just say “my bad” and start doing better.  Most posts coming – I promise!

To kick off the New Year, my team and I met for an inspirational brainstorming and goal setting session.  We chatted about things that were going well at GRIT and things that we can do better. We also spent time articulating our vision of an “amazing fitness experience” and then set some team and personal goals around that vision.

Fortunately, I had a great boss back in my consulting days who taught me about setting SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time Bound.  What are your goals for 2016? I encourage you to also set smart goals – they are more effective for driving to results!

As a small business owner and new entrepreneur I value this quality time with my team.  Sure, I see these ladies everyday as sweat and smile during our classes at GRIT, but the most important thing I’ve learned during my first year as an entrepreneur is that my business success is 100% dependent on the engagement and performance of my team.  Without my team – I have nothing! #realtalk

As a self-proclaimed “independent woman” this was a tough pill for me to swallow because a part of me prides myself on developing the concept for GRIT Fitness on my own and getting it up and running by leveraging my skills and experience.  But as we continue to grow, there are SO MANY things that I simply can’t do by myself and SO MANY things that I just don’t know.   I have to develop and empower my team to be leaders in their own right, take risks and to share their gifts with others.

While I absolutely LOVE group fitness and feel so blessed to wake up every day and pursue my passion, I get so much more joy from serving my team and creating a foundation for us all to pursue our passions together.  I’ve learned that “it’s great to do what you love, but even greater with the great team.” Teamwork really does make the dream work.  xoxo,Brit

Maria, GRIT Body Sculpt & HIIT instructor, showing off her mug
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2015 Goal Setting Tips – How to set SMART goals

Happy January!  So, what are your thoughts on New Years resolutions?  I have mixed feelings about them… BUT I’m a big fan of goal-setting and what better time to re-elvaute and reset personal goal that at the beginning of the year?

At my cycling studio, BEYOND Pedaling, we have a new initiative going on in the month of January called #CommitTo30.  Studies show that if we stick to something for 30 days we are more likely to make it a habit.  My #CommitTo30 goal is to incorporate “mindfulness” (the practice of non-judgmental, present-moment awareness) into my daily routine. I often get so wrapped up in my to-do list that I forget to pause and appreciate the present moment. PLUS research shows that being more mindful increases brain function! Here’s an article from Harvard Business Review that elaborates on the brain benefits of mindfulness.

My instructor bio pic at BEYOND Pedaling #flex

While setting this overall goal is a step in the right direction, it’s not a smart goal until I get more specific about what I’m going to achieve.  I love this acronym from George T. Doran for effective goal setting.  He says SMART Goals are:

  • Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
  • Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress.
  • Assignable – specify who will do it.
  • Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources.
  • Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved.

With this in mind, I further elaborated my #CommitTo30 goal to the following:

For the next 30 days, I’m going to practice “mindfulness” by pausing for 15 minutes each morning without any media, work or distractions to simply reflect on the present moment.  To track my progress, I’ll write down the new things I appreciated each day.

By making my goal “smarter” I actually feel more inclined to stick with it.  What are your 2015 goals?  I’d love to hear them!

Wishing you a wonderful week!  xoxo, Brit

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