Once upon a time, there was a young man, he worked in various production factories, making car parts to fitted bedrooms. He had done this since he was 14 years old when he got a Saturday job after work experience. He lived with his partner in a house he bought at 19 years old, made a good wage for his age, paid the bills, put food on the table, taught and practised martial arts at local clubs and didn’t really have any worries.
Life was good on the surface, and he knew that there were many people a lot worse off than him, but he wasn’t happy. He felt something was missing and was fed up of the routine; working for the weekend, clock watching all day just waiting for the bell to ring to say, “time to go home.” His relationship wasn’t good, he ended up splitting up with his partner, and after 10 years he’d had enough.
He found himself at a crossroads, one direction was to continue on this path, not fulfilled or enjoying life with no end in sight, or he could make a change! But what, what was missing? He realised that one thing that really made him feel good was his martial arts, teaching and seeing the looks of joy and achievement when one of his students got the next grade or won a competition; that’s what felt good, helping others achieve.
That young man was me! So, what did I do about it?
I decided enough was enough, I had to make a change, and with my new realisation and love of fitness, I decided to take the path of a Personal Trainer (PT). I enrolled at university to study sports science, took my gym instructors qualifications at the same time, found a part-time position in a local gym; I was on the way to becoming what I wanted to be. I was lucky that my current employers were understanding enough to allow me to work part-time, as I still had bills to pay. It was a tough few years; balancing two jobs, studying, and getting assignments in on time, but I had to do it.
So I finished university, found a full-time gym position, and continued my study to become a qualified PT. Over the last 18 years I’ve worked for various health clubs gaining experience in the industry and now run my own business. I’d done it, it took time and hard work, but I made the change that I knew I had to.
My life is totally different now; I have a wife and two children and live a good life, sure I have my troubles as everyone does, but I’m doing something I love, helping others. I hope this story helps you in some way; if you’re at a point where you’re not happy, look for another direction and make the change; you can make it work if you really want to.
