Instructor Newsletter 30th October

It’s been a while since Zoe McNulty has written for the newsletter so when I asked her to contribute & she told me about the Miss Galaxy competition she is entering I knew this would be a great topic for the newsletter.
Do let us know your feedback & TIME management is back as it appears to be the biggest issues faced by us ALL>

Seize the moment…or it will be gone. By Rachel

Since I have been running my mentoring and coaching programs the biggest and most humungous obstacle is TIME MANAGEMENT.

“I have all of these amazing ideas for product development, employing other Instructors, becoming a speaker, creating a new brand..but I don’t have the time to work on it”  I probably hear that nearly every day.

When Instructors say this to me I am so sad : Sad because I think we have so much potential, so much to give, so much to offer and so many  opportunities, but in order to make time in your life to develop your ideas you are going to have to make space somewhere, or get rid of unfulfilling tasks in the week to really drive your idea through. There have been times over the last few weeks I’ve been working well into the early hours because I have to get a project finished that I’ve been working on, so I have to make and find the time to complete it. I think it comes down to how much you really want something.

For busy fitness professionals who are juggling classes, one-on-one sessions and families, keeping the learning going to keep pace with the ever shifting trends of the fitness industry can be challenging if you aren’t organised. This means that structuring the way you work is vital if you are going to have time to learn, work, and have a life.

The following are 15 quick tips to aid you in getting across everything in your day, week, month and year so that you may get more done in less time.

1: Decide you want to be massively productive

Do what you need to do to get massively productive! Self-discipline is the key, make yourself do something that you need to do, whether you want to or not. Get on with it, if you want to be top in your field decide that you are willing to pay the price and roll your sleeves up and get stuck in. Eat that frog…Every day

Rachel’s Tip – Whenever I sit at my desk I tackle the biggest job first. Every time.I don’t answer emails or phone calls until I have made substantial progress on a project.

2: Five Ps – poor preparation precipitates poor performance

The mark of a professional is to plan activities in advance that feed into their goals and are linked to their vision. The first 10% of time planning activities will save you as much as 90% of time performing those activities once you start work. Think on paper before you begin. Then keep referring your activities and learning back to your vision – is what you are doing going to lead to your goals?

Rachel’sTip – I carry a notebook and my phone everywhere. I get inspired usually when I’m teaching a class, or driving, or reading. As soon as an idea comes into my head I write it down or type it into my phone. Never let an idea get away!

3. Strategy breaks

Take two days a year, one day a quarter, half a day a month, one hour a week, and 10 minutes at each end of the day to plan and intend your day. Only do what you deem is important, and only work from a list. As new things come in, add them to the appropriate list as long as it links to your goals, and cross them off as they get done.  Make sure you  think from your master list and then filter your to do items into its master list.

Rachel’s Tip – Make a to do list at the end of every day so your brain gets time to absorb it all while you are sleeping. Of en you wake up with the answer to a problem or can make a decision if you write it down the night before. Have a masterlist then make a daily to do list that drives you closer to your master goals.

4. Master lists
Don’t just have lists, have lists of lists. They can get daunting; always know that the list is a servant of a master, what is the master to this list? Create a master list or a project list with tasks placed in list so you know where you are going with that list.
Rachel’s Tip I use Evernote for all my lists and goal setting. Yu can upload it to your phone, ipad and pc Evernote.com

5. Down-time is productive time

Think about where you get your best ideas. It’s hardly ever sitting at your desk, so set up rituals that get you away from your work environment to access different parts of the brain. To think outside the square you have created, you need to plan to have strategic breaks so you can and relax recharge, this will help access the creative, intuitive right side of your brain to get your break through ideas.

Rachel’s Tip: If you are a social/people person like me, I can only work for about 4 hours at my desk productively then I have to see another human being! Get  out, take a quick walk, go to the super market, post office and break up your office time you will still get as much done.

6. Chunk your time

Put things together so you can get things done. This means making all your phone calls in one hit, putting sessions back-to-back, then having administration time, then planning time. Plan to get things done in one sitting without distraction.
Do and work things only once; don’t read mail twice, open mail twice, choose what to do and don’t stop until 100% complete. Don’t chop and change! Focus until over the line, don’t get distracted. Doing this can decrease the time it takes to do task by up to 80%.

Rachel’s Tip I write my Blog posts all in one go, film 4 downloads in a time, write  3/4 articles  etc Batch your time.

7: Capture your Ideas

It is important to capture your ideas in one place so you can refer back to it.  For this reason use a journal or mind map things to capture those really great ideas.  Maybe a data recorder would work better for you, no matter what format you use once you get your ideas down you can go over them again and again.

8. Clearing
Getting stuff out of the way that is in the way. Clear thinking, clear relationships, get things off your mind, don’t carry it around with you. The reasoning behind this is you don’t need unresolved issues filling your creative mind, your mind needs to be clear to be creative so if a relationship, or situation is bothering you clear it up and get on with it.

9.  Use travel time effectively
Travel time can take up many hours each week; if you add up all the hours across a year it can add up to a university semester.  Why not use travel time efficiently and use this time for learning.  There are great books and audio programmes that can  be read and listed to while travelling to and from work.  Use your travel time as learning time.

Rachel’s Tip I’ve listened to hundreds of audio books while I’m driving or flying. I then arrive at my destination motivated and inspired and have learnt new information.

10. Relationships
Relationships account for 85% of the happiness you experience of your life.  Set happiness and home life as the major priority of your life.
Don’t forget the important people in your life they are are really count 🙂

Miss Galaxy Zoe McNulty

So I’m doing this thing…  And I’m a bit nervous about it!  But only a bit.  And I will be strutting around in nothing but high heels and a swimsuit on stage in front of hundreds of people, with judges… judging me – but I think I’m going to do ok!  Let me tell you about Miss Galaxy Universe and why I’m taking my clothes off!

What is it?  Well, the tagline is “Bullet Proof Beauty” and you could describe it as a body building competition mixed with a beauty pageant, neither of which I would usually enter but this particular competition caught my eye because of a NEW category which was introduced in June which I will tell you about in a moment.

I became aware of these competitions a couple of years ago as many of my female fitness friends got into lifting weights, seeing changes in their physiques and quite rightly wanting recognition for their hard work.  It was something I stood back and watched from afar, applauding with gusto at their efforts and doubting that I could ever have their mind set, dedication and determination to get the physique that some women dream of having.  I’m not one of those women, but boy, do I admire a muscular physique on a girl and know many guys who do too.

As I said I would not usually align myself with the world of body building as I’m all about being feminine and celebrating curves, as those who have read my articles for Rachel in the past would know.  Body building is so focused on aesthetics and dropping body fat, with long term effects leaving competitors at risk of over-use injuries and in some cases risking their cardiac health. According to livestrong.com a study published in ‘Cardiology’ in 2006 linked heavy lifting to the risk of tearing the aorta – eek!  BUT Miss Galaxy Universe is not really a body building competition, it’s fitness modelling.  Yes, aesthetics plays a part but 60 % of the marks come from the fitness test which I believe is a great message.  This is what the website says:

“Miss Galaxy is an all female fitness show based around Performance & Functionality. Also offering the industry standard of Bikini rounds, but adding a touch of Miss World elegance to the stage.”

Categories include Bikini Diva, Yummy Mummy, Beach Body and Fitness Model, all of which embrace different body types.  But in June this year, they took things to a new level of body shape acceptance by creating a new category which embraces ladies of size 12-16 called Miss Monroe International.  As the name would suggest, it takes inspiration from the curvaceous Marilyn who many consider to be the most beautiful and sexy woman to have lived during this age.  This will be my category and is inspired by the style and glamour of the 1940s and 50s.

This is the perfect opportunity to practice what I preach through my dance concepts such as Raunch and Stiletto (I’ll be tapping into my Stiletto strutting experience extensively for this) which are all about learning to love the body you have, whether slim or curvy and realising that the insecurities that we have are completely unfounded.  I have always sought to teach women that how we feel about ourselves directly affects how others react to us, which is why confidence is such an attractive quality.  How you carry yourself, how you move and what you think about yourself has a huge impact on what others think of us – NOT THAT IT MATTERS WHAT THEY THINK!!  But regardless, I will be strutting on stage in perspex heels and a cute 1950s style swim suit to demonstrate that 5ft 2 inches and almost 12 stone can look good, but more than that, can FEEL good!  Plus, my dress for the ‘evening wea r’ round is absolutely GORGEOUS!  It has been kindly sponsored by Tony of Just For Women Fitness of the Dominate Fitness Group in Stevenage.  It’s very Monroe/Jessica Rabbit and I’m poking forward to wiggling my bum in it!!

Eeeek!  Of course I am nervous.  There are rules and regulations about where you walk, how you stand, when you turn etc, loads of opportunities to get it ‘wrong’.  And of course I will be being judged, but you know what, we get judged every day, rightly or wrongly.  It’s something we need to let just roll off us like water off a ducks back.  For every person who looks down on you there are more who look up to you!  As fitness instructors, in the public eye in our local area, it’s so important to be a role model- this doesn’t necessarily mean setting crazy high standards for yourself and freaking out about the carb grams of each meal, and burning yourself out.  It means being realistic and living a well balanced life.  I have been training for the fitness test, but not that hard as I want to continue this healthy regime on a permanent basis, not just for the show.  For my testimony to have an effect I really need to just turn up and rock that shizzle!

What is lovely about the show is that all the Galaxy Girls, past and present are so supportive of each other.  We have a secret Facebook group where we all post our fears and concerns, encouragement and praise and we’re all under the watchful eye of Sarah Donohue, the founder, who really helps to put things into perspective with some no-nonsense, straight talking, which is fabulous.  The women in this group are all amazing and many have incredible back stories of overcoming terrible life situations of illness and abuse and have come out the other end, often with thanks to Miss Galaxy Universe for providing such support and something positive to focus upon.  Any one of the ladies who takes part would be worthy of winning and I’m looking forward to meeting them all in person and sharing the stage with so many inspirational women!

The show is Saturday November 1st in Crawley with the fitness tests happening the day before.  Here is the link for tickets if you want to come and cheer me on.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/boxoffice/select/FVPUWJOMWEDO

…and if you fancy the challenge/want to prove a point, the next one will be in June 2015

http://www.missgalaxyuniverse.com

To see how I get on ‘like my Facebook fan page and add yourself to my email list here…

https://www.facebook.com/ZoeMcNultyPresenter/app_100265896690345

Have a great day!!
Zoe
xxx

HAPPY THURSDAY LOVE RACHEL xxx