Helping others helps yourself



It’s a known fact in psychology that helping others helps you in many ways from increased confidence, happiness and even helping you to live longer! Both my business and personal ethos are centred around helping others and just about everything I have achieved in my life is as a result of this. This week I wanted to recognise some of the individuals who helped me to reach my goals last year.

Just about everything I have achieved in my life is as a result of helping others. At the start of the year, I always set myself goals. Things I want to achieve for myself, with clients or my business. This week I wanted to recognise some of the individuals who helped me to reach my goals last year.

I always seem to doubt myself every year when it comes to goal setting but for me, that’s a sign that it’s an appropriate goal, something I will have to work hard for. If it doesn’t scare me a little, it’s probably a sign that it’s too easy. Having these goals to strive for keeps things exciting. Even when I’m unsure about how I’ll go against my goals, as long as I’m disciplined and I see it out, and that I’m consistent it always seems to be a success.

One of the goals for last year was moving my PT business from the gym I used to own to CrossFit PRL. At the time, I knew I had my fingers in too many pies and I was running myself into the ground. I’d done it before and got ill so this time I saw the signs. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly but after having my second daughter, I knew that I had to make that jump. I was losing valuable family time trying to run two businesses and something had to give.

At the end of 2021 I had got a business coach. I’d seen him post about giving up his gym and I wanted to know about him making that decision. He was a big part in helping me make that decision.

When I started at PRL, I felt totally out of my depth. There were some really experienced coaches there and it has been a brilliant learning opportunity to develop my skills, particularly in coaching Olympic weightlifting. It’s also improved my own confidence. I’m super grateful to Vic and Rachel at PRL for encouraging me to make that leap, for welcoming me into their gym and for enabling my growth as a coach.

2022 has probably been the best year so far for my clients. Not just in terms of becoming physically stronger but improving quality of their movements, they’re mentally stronger, and have become more confident.

Being in the CrossFit environment, doing competitions has been a great addition to their training, and to showcase their abilities and achievements. When I started doing CrossFit competitions with clients some of them felt out of their depth, that they weren’t ready or were intimidated by their competition. But it’s like anything in life, when you do something for the first time, it is out of your comfort zone. In 2022, with a bit more experience and training, they came back to competition fighting and really holding their own, getting PBs and improving placings in competitions.

This year I’ve also had the privilege to welcome new clients, including a Hyrox athlete. It’s been great to learn about and coach this kind of fitness racing with my clients. I’ve seen them progress with their training and I’m looking forward to seeing them show the work they’ve done this month. Coaching these women has helped me to broaden my knowledge and skillset.

Over the last year, everything in my business changed and I wasn’t sure if I was going to bring running club back but I decided to give it another year and saw new faces, inspiring people and I witnessed some great achievements. I put a lot of effort into it and it paid off – I helped people get moving which is the ultimate goal in my world.

One of my goals last year was to write these blogs consistently but unfortunately, English wasn’t my specialist subject at school. Luckily, one of my clients has a writing skill, and knows me and my business so I’ve been able to send her the audio while she converts it into written form in my voice. The more I blog, the more inspired I become to write more. Working on the blogs is helping me work towards a long term goal to one day write my autobiography!

Last year I also turned 40 which marked a new chapter in my life and I also bought our home with my partner Fay. Our home has brought stability and security (although my bank account has had a shock to the system!), and I couldn’t have done it without Fay.

Every single one of last year’s achievements came as a result of helping others, and being helped by others too. Thanks to you all for making 2022 a good one!

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