Do You Really?

One of our underlying biggest goals with every client when they first start at Spurling Fitness is to get them to truly fall in love with the process.

It takes time, but it’s so important.

Why?

If you love the process, you’re pretty much guaranteed results.

We live very much in an instant gratification world.

Heck, this morning I was getting mad because instead of taking 0.2 seconds for this computer page to load, it was taking 1.2 seconds.

All jokes aside, we often are looking for the end result before we even start.

In fitness, we want to lose weight as quickly as possible, and we think we’ll be happy once we’re there.

In finances, we want to have a billion dollars overnight…

We want to be at the top of our career….

We want, want, want…

But what about the love of the process?

What about the love of the pursuit of it all, the challenges, the struggles, the setbacks, the emotions.

You have to love that.

Let’s look at a couple of examples…

Part of the reason why I love what I do so much is there is always something to do, always a challenge to overcome in the business, always a team member to mentor or a client to help.

That will never end.

Sure, we have goals we’re trying to pursue, but the fact of the matter is, all of the happiness, all of the satisfaction is in the daily pursuit.

That’s why I’ll never just say “ok, we’re good.”

It’s not that I’m not happy with everything, in fact, quite the opposite, I just enjoy the daily pursuit of making things and people better.

In fitness, the results can be frustrating.

However, you have to love the process.

You have to enjoy the workouts, enjoy the ups and downs, enjoy the struggles.

That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with people that can support you through it, and a place that can support you through it.

But it’s the same as my business example….

It never ends.

It’s just waking up each day and saying “how can I get a little better in my fitness today?”

Some days it doesn’t happen, and that’s totally okay.

Some days the best thing you can do is rest, and that’s great too.”

And some days there’s work to be done, even if you don’t want to.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about building a business, getting better at fitness, having a better relationship, or growing in your career…

You have to truly fall in love with the process.

One of my favorite sayings is…

“Everyone wants to eat but no one wants to cook.”

Meaning, everyone wants the end results, but no one is willing to put in the work.

Now, “no one” is a bit of an absolute, but you get the point.

Quite often if you look at someone that is “successful” in an area of life, they spend more time “cooking” in that area, 10x more than what you think.

I think of someone like Coach Chris.

He has one of the strongest relationships with his wife, Sarah, I’ve ever seen.

From the outside, you might look at it and be jealous.

But when you peel back the onion, they work at it.

He spends a great deal of quality time with her, they share hobbies, they share faith together, and they love the process of strengthening their marriage.

I know I can’t get mad or compare why my relationship is not like that if the time they spend together is 10:1 to what Megan and I spend together.

Just like in business or your career.

You look and admire someone that is excelling, but you don’t see the hours and hours they pour into it, the hours when you’re home with your family, they’re still working.

They’re “cooking” to use the analogy above.

We can’t be jealous if we’re honest with ourselves and admit we don’t nearly put as much time into it as they do.

And the same goes for fitness.

The people that get the best results for fitness love the process, they show up when they don’t want to, they put in the work, and they don’t stop.

They take breaks throughout the week to rest and recharge, and there’s months where the frequency might be low, but it’s a part of their month, every month.

As we continue to chug along in 2020, reflect back on some of the goals you get, fitness or otherwise, and evaluate the process.

Learn to love the process, devote time to process, and don’t compare to others.

When that happens your results will skyrocket.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Sometimes we get it backwards

For Christmas, my big brother bought me a new guitar.

A very, very nice, Martin Guitar. (Willie Nelson’s guitar Trigger is also a Martin. You’re welcome for that bit of trivia).

I’ve played the guitar since I was 13 or 14, but I’m mostly a casual hack who plays whenever I feel like it. It’s a coping strategy, but not something I tend to do everyday. Years ago I had the chance to play a Martin in a music store, and I fell in love with it. But I’m not a musician, so while it was fun to play, I’ve always said that I’m not good enough to buy that kind of guitar.

But the funny thing is, since my brother gave me this guitar, I’ve played almost every day. I’m learning more songs - playing new licks. Picking it up and tooling around at night when I get home. I’ve played this new guitar more in a month than I’ve played in the past six months.

(I’d argue that I’m getting better, though Sheila might disagree.)

Which makes me think that I’ve had my belief system backwards.

Recently, in reading the book Atomic Habits, author James Clear discussed the part that beliefs play in developing habits. Well, for the last 20 years, my belief around playing the guitar has been, I’m a hack, so I’m not going to buy myself a nice guitar.

I don’t play well enough to buy a nice guitar.

I don’t deserve a nice guitar.

I won’t buy myself a new guitar until I’m good enough to play one. And yet, with a nicer instrument, I’m playing better.

What actions are you kicking down the road because you are waiting for something? I’d like to try yoga, but I’m not very flexible. I’d like to try Qicong, but I’m terrible with balance. I’d like to join a gym, but I just don’t have time.

In my case, I’m thankful that my brother decided to give me such a generous gift. In part because I’m enjoying the guitar so much, but also because of the awakening it’s brought to me.

Sometimes we get it backwards.

So maybe it’s time for you to flip the script on some of the stories you’ve been telling yourself.

How To Create A Good Habit...

When we look at our goals, we often forget that it’s a series of actions that lead to those goals.

Meaning, if I have a goal of losing weight, that’s great, but I still need to exercise, eat healthy, etc.

What we know is that those actions are a series of habits.

The large majority (upwards of 90% depending on who you ask) of our actions are driven by habits.

Our drive to work is a habit…

Our sitting on the couch after dinner is a habit…

If we do anything long enough, for enough repetitions, it becomes a habit.

So, in order to make true, lasting change, we need to change our habits.

Much easier said than done, right?

Well, in his book Atomic Habits (highly recommend), James Clear outlines 4-step to creating a good habit.

Step one: Make it obvious.

That would be the example of putting your vitamins next to your toothbrush is brushing your teeth is already a habit.

That would be putting your workout clothes in your gym bag next to your car keys so you take them to work with you.

The first step is to stack a new habit with an existing habit and design the environment to make the good habit happen.

Step two: Make it attractive

This is where you pair this new habit you’re trying to build with an an existing habit you already enjoy.

That might be stretching while you watch your favorite TV show at night.

The TV show is the habit, you enjoy it, and you’re stacking it with stretching.

I get to watch my favorite TV show is I stretch during it.

He also eludes to in this step joining a culture where the habit is the normal.

That’s why joining a gym like Spurling is so powerful.

You walk in, it’s your own journey, but everyone there is working out, the energy is contagious, and so it comes a habit.

Step three: Make it easy.

This is where you try to reduce as much friction as possible, have as few steps as possible.

This could be going to the gym right after work instead of going home first then coming back out.

This could be preparing your meals ahead of time so the steps that night to cook are less.

Automation fits into this category as well.

If you’re trying to make a good financial habit, you can automate your savings or your investing.

The easier the better, and that usually just takes some prep work for the environment.

Step four: Make it satisfying

It has to be worth it, right?

Maybe you give yourself a small reward after you complete the habit.

This is also where “don’t break the chain” comes in.

Keep track of your habit, something as simple as a daily box to check, and it’s extremely motivating and satisfying to not miss a day.

That’s it.

Simple?

Yes.

Easy?

No.

However, use this four-step frame work as you start to look at your goals this year and determine what habits you need to create in order to hit those goals.

If you need help with it just reply and let us know…

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

I suck at headlines

The other day, I posed a question on my FB page asking folks what their biggest barriers are to hitting their goals.

And a number of people gave a similar answer:

Me. Me, myself and I. I am my biggest barrier.

I know that many of you reading this post right now might be thinking along similar lines. That you are your own problem. And I get that. I get the feeling that you are the one responsible for either making the change or not making the change. You are responsible for your successes or failures. Extreme ownership right?

(Except many of you out there would likely share the ownership of your success but take full responsibility for any shortcomings…)

But if you believe that you are your own worst enemy, and that you are the reason that you can’t get where you want to go, then there’s not much room for you to recognize what your best solution really is.

You. You are your best solution.

But you can’t play that role if you are too busy kicking yourself for all that you haven’t done. You can’t dig out the best part of you when you’re so busy beating yourself down for your lesser parts.

Can you actually believe that you are capable of achieving certain things while you’re so busy believing that you are your biggest problem? I know I often talk about the concept of both/and. But I’m not sure it works here. I’m not sure that you can play yourself both ways.

Take out a piece of paper right now. I’ll wait.

………

Write down five positive traits that you believe to be true about yourself. Can you do that? Can your write down five things? You’re creative, you’re funny, you’re caring, you’re sensitive, you’re remarkably good at darts, even though no one ever taught you (it comes in handy sometimes).

Much like the idea of a gratitude journal, you have to actively look for and acknowledge the positive traits you have. You need to take a few minutes to do that. Because until you do, until you can look yourself in the mirror and go all Stuart Smalley, you are going to keep filling yourself with the negative self-talk that provides the very barriers you’re trying to overcome.

If you want to make changes in 2020, then you need to stop the self-limiting beliefs about yourself. You are your best solution. But you have to start showing up for yourself the way you show up for your friends. You really do.

4 Things In 2020

Is this really the first Monday and the start of a normal week in 2020?

The way the holidays fell during the middle of the week, things finally feel back to “normal.”

Minus the Patriots not being the playoffs, none of that feels normal :)

Any who, as you start to tackle 2020 and make goals, I think I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t share with you The Four Agreements. 

The four things, as good human beings, that we need to keep in mind and take action on. 

The four things that create love and happiness in our lives. 

Understanding these commitments is easy and simple, but actually living and keeping these four agreements can be one of the hardest things. 

Integrate these four agreements into your life and every area will improve. 

Now, they may not replace goals, but they are the foundation to any goal, they are the foundation to being a good human being, so any goal is not possible without the presence of these agreements.  

1. Be Impeccable with your word

This is integrity. 

Doing what you said you were going to do. 

Committing to what you said you would do. 

Saying only what you mean. 

It's also avoiding using negative words to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. 

This can have a nice carryover to the negative self-talk we often feed ourselves throughout a fitness  journey. 

Use your words to drive happiness and love not negativity. 

2. Don't take anything personally. 

What others say and do is a projection of their own reality. 

Nothing others do is because of you. 

When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others you won't be impacted by their negativity. 

This one clearly carries over to several facets of life, but it also has some weight throughout your fitness journey. 

"Oh come on Sue, why are you getting that grilled chicken dish? What are you trying to eat healthy or something? Just get the burger and beer!"

We've all had that. 

We're trying to make healthy choices and our social circle gives us a hard time about it. 

Now hopefully they're just joking, but it can still weigh heavily on you. 

Don't take anything personally, keep your head down, stay positive, and focus on your journey. 

3. Don't make assumptions

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. 

Communicate with others as clearly as possible to avoid misunderstandings.

Whether it's communicating with your coach, communicating to your spouse, or communicating to your coworker, don't make assumptions. 

Spell things our clearly, ask good questions and don't assume. 

4. Always do your best. 

This is my favorite one. 

In every moment, you should always be doing the best you possibly can. 

Life is too short for half hearted efforts in anything. 

Now, an important thing to understand before I go on...

Your best is going to change moment to moment.

Your best when you're sick is not going to be as good as when you're healthy.

Your best when you're tired is not going to be as good as when you're rested.

That doesn't matter though.

In any situation, always do your best, whatever that looks like at that time. 

Jump higher.

Put 100% effort in 100% of the time.

Always do your best. 

How'd you like the four agreements?

If you liked them I would highly suggest reading the book, The Four Agreements. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

It's Been One Heck Of A Ride...

It's Been One Heck of A Ride...

Eight years ago today I sat in a freezing 1930’s warehouse building by myself.

Eight years ago today I opened Spurling Fitness, which was then called Spurling Training Systems.

I had the heat set at 55 because I had no clue how I was going to pay for heat, let alone rent the following month.

On that freezing January day, I had a couple of new members sign-up, and things were good.

Every time I walk through our doors now I try to remember back to those cold days of shivering in the office by myself because I only had 2-3 sessions per day, each filled with 1-2 people.

To say it’s been a heck of a ride is an understatement…

2012 was the year of survival.

Try to figure out how I can get enough money to keep the lights on.

I did all the coaching myself, with a little help from my college friends, Shawn, and Brandon, who I’m sure some of you remember.

Shawn would do some of the early morning sessions so I could sleep in a little in prep for the 16 hour days ahead.

I survived it, had about 50 clients at year-end, some of which are still with us today, and was able to survive to live off of a tray of Hannaford Sushi and some protein shakes.

2013 was a breakthrough year.

Two things really changed the trajectory of our “business” in 2013.

I actually ran it like a company.

One thing I never compromised on from day one is coaching.

From day one, every person that walked through the doors was under the supervision of a coach.

However, that was a completely new business model for the fitness industry, let alone Maine.

In 2013 I met two people who had been in the industry for decades and I was humble enough to ask for help.

One of them, Pat, is still my coach today.

Today, the team knows him well, and he is pretty much a father figure to me at this point.

We talk almost weekly, I run everything I do by him, and he coaches me along the way both in business and in life.

In 2013 it was just a desperate call for help.

“How the heck do I do this?”

I also attended a 2-day workshop in Baltimore, Maryland in October of 2013 where I met another long-time fitness business mentor who gave me the framework to actually run a gym like a business.

I remember driving home in the pouring rain from Baltimore (I couldn’t afford a flight) and calling Josh, who was a volunteer intern at the time, saying…

“Dude, here’s what we’re going to do. This is going to change everything.”

And it did.

We honed in our coaching model, our delivery system, I figured out appropriate pricing that would actually be sustainable, and I got clear on who we wanted to help.

Which leads me to my second thing that drastically changed the business in 2013.

Josh.

Josh was an “intern” before we even had an internship.

He contacted me to see if he could start early and after the “internship” was over he asked how he could stay on.

I know he’s a quiet guy, but please let it be known that we would not be where we are today without Josh.

He and I often reminisce at the humble beginnings of volunteering his time and working two other jobs because I couldn’t pay him more than minimum wage.

Now, Josh is our Dir of Operations and does all the “behind the scenes” of facility operations and coaching.

The schedule, the equipment maintenance, the coach’s development plans, the programming, everything.

He runs that side of our business, and I couldn’t be more proud, quite a different story to tell compared to the days in 2013.

In 2014 we continue to grow, more than doubling from 2013 and changing more and more lives.

One thing stayed true, which was the coaching.

We’ve evolved in how we’ve coached our clients (as we always will), but all our clients have always had a coach.

2014 was a big growth year and it was time to bring on another coach.

I remember seeing this kid’s name pop up on social media all the time, he was constantly posting industry articles, sharing his opinion on nutrition stuff, etc.

His name was Trent.

I messaged him on Facebook asking what he’s up to and wanted to see if he would be interested in a position.

Fortunately for all of us, he had just finished up living out in Indiana completing an internship at one of the top fitness facilities in the country.

I’ve watched Trent grow a lot, from his growth as a coach to becoming a dad, to buying a house.

He’s been a steady rock on our team for going on 5 years, and he’s been an integral part of our success.

2015 was a very interesting year.

We continued to grow, and just like every year in business so far, we needed another coach.

You see, as you know, we’re not like any other gym.

Not just on the fitness and experience side, but on the staffing side.

It’s common for fitness professionals to either do this as a side-gig or just be an independent contractor and train their own clients at another gym.

In great circumstances, they’re paid hourly or per session.

I’ve always tried to be better than great.

I wanted a full-time team of coaches, salaries, benefits, a team that was not motivated just for the money, and it didn’t matter if there was one person on the floor or ten people on the floor, they’re going to change someone's life.

That certainly came with its own challenge, but that is what makes our team so unique today, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I get comments every day about how awesome our team is, I never take them for granted, and part of that is treating them well so they can ultimately retire as a team member of Spurling.

Back in 2015, we hired Chris.

Chris was just about to get married to Sarah and was looking to get out of a situation I talked about above (health club personal trainer) and we were lucky enough to scoop him up.

He’s been an integral part to our coaching team, and it’s been so fun to watch him grow as a coach, grow as a husband to Sarah, and see him do some incredible things both as a coach (he founded our 5k for example), and as a friend, like buying a house with Sarah.

In 2015 we also moved to our current location.

That was a big move for us, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially.

I thought all our clients were going to leave.

I was buying a piece of commercial real estate at 26 years old.

I was going crazy.

But as you know if you’ve been with me since that transition, it was probably one of the best moves we made.

It allowed us to have a more professional look, it allowed us to be closer and more convenient for our clients, and it really planted our seed for the future.

I can easily say it was one of the best moves we made to make a bigger impact on our community.

2016 was another year of growth and it was time for another coach.

At this point, my business responsibilities were growing and I needed to play more of a leadership role and not coach clients anymore.

Back in 2015, someone met me at our pub table, the same black one we still have in the gym, and I could tell she was special.

She wasn’t your “normal” female fitness trainer that was all about fitting into a bikini, I could tell she “got it.”

She was going to help us get closer to our mission.

Fortunate for her, she took an internship down in Massachusetts at one of the best facilities in the country.

Lucky for us, after her internship was done, and fast forward to 2016, we had the ability to grab her and take her “off the market.”

That’s Kim if you couldn’t tell.

To say she has made a positive change in our business would be an understatement.

She took a gym that was being run by a “bunch of boys” and helped us turn it into one of the most respected training gyms in the country.

She taught us empathy and coached us in developing the “soft skills” of this industry.

She’s a staple on our team know and I can’t imagine our business without her.

2017 was a very transitional year.

We made some major mistakes and major commitments.

The biggest commitment was committing to our vision of 2020, a vision we’ve now, and in fact, today, we’ll be publishing our Vision 2025 for the company.

In that vision, we agreed we would cap our membership with our Tribe of 400.

We didn’t like the volume game the industry was playing, and we’re all introverts so we don’t like big crowds :)

We got really clear that in our facility we’re only going to serve 400 clients, allowing the experience to be superb.

We also got really clear that we’re not going to expand to more gyms, but instead, expand to other services to help more people in our community.

So, instead of going wide in the fitness industry like is common, we have chosen to go deep within our community, building other brands that complement our fitness offerings, a lot of which you’ll finally be able to “see” in 2020.

We also went through three coaches that were awesome people, just not good fits for our Spurling Team.

With the hiccups of that, came the awesomeness of Mel and Judy.

Mel comes to us with a hospitality background.

So it’s no surprise to me when I hear (almost daily) how friendly she is and how much she genuinely cares for our clients.

What most people don’t realize is she is not our “front desk” person.

She’s a part of the leadership team with Josh and me, and while Josh takes care of the coaching operations, Mel runs everything to do with the client experience.

That’s no small task in our business, as it’s ALL about the client experience.

She drives the smiles and solutions to our business, and she’s the perfect fit for it.

I admire her detail-oriented work, yet the ability to put that aside and be super friendly to every person that walks through the door, all while balancing two incredible kids at home.

And then Judy came along.

At this point, we didn’t need another full-time coach but needed someone to coach some additional sessions during “peak” times.

Judy was a client who became a coach.

She has been awesome because she brings a ton of experience from the industry, and fills a nice role in our team.

And finally, this past year, 2019.

We brought on a former intern who has become a “little” brother.

BMart.

Brian often gets mistaken by new people for being my little brother as we’re similar heights.

Brian has been an integral part of our Client Experience and is Mel’s right-hand man, making it a true Client Experience Team.

Also this year after three coach transitions we brought on Jess who runs the afternoons with Kim.

The word that keeps popping up since she joined the team has been “seamless.”

She fit right into our community and has been a great coach, and I’m looking forward to watching her grow in 2020.

The Dream Team.

They are what make Spurling so much better than just a gym.

However, I never forget that none of us would be here today, none of us would have the roof over our head, the food on our plates, or the experiences in our back pocket without our clients.

Asking for help takes guts, and trusting someone is hard.

But that’s what a client does.

They ask for help and then put their trust in us that we’re going to inspire positive change in them.

I’m proud to say we’ve been able to do that with thousands of people at this point.

That’s our mission.

To inspire positive change and cultivate relationships.

Jeff, I still remember you walking in on day one and paying for a whole year.

Anne, I remember our 1:1 sessions back in the day.

Lynette, I still love that you come at 8 am and those mornings at the old spot with Shawn and the “Wells” ladies were some of my best.

Kortney, thank you for being our “mayor” and knowing everyone and spreading the love to so many people.

Stephanie, I showed your video to our team at our annual meeting and we all held back tears. We love working with you and your positive messages are what help us get through the long days.

I’d be here till next January, but I could go one by one through every single client.

Whether you joined in 2012, you’re joining this afternoon, or you're a former intern or employee, you helped shape who we are today, and for that, I am forever grateful.

None of what you see is possible without your support, and I know I can speak for our entire team and just say…

Thank you.

Thank you for an incredible 8 years, thank you for making it so fun, so challenging, and so emotional that I’m fighting back tears as I type this.

I couldn’t end this without thanking my wife, Megan.

She sees my “daily grind” the most, she puts up with my ambitions and is the one I vent to when things are not going right.

In 2012 we lived together, then we dated (a story for another day), in 2016 we got married, in 2017 we had Kaden, and just this past year we welcomed Ellie.

She’s been with me every step of the way, and her love and support are how I get through the tough days.

As for me, I’m happy.

I have crappy days like all of you, but I’m in love with the climb, I’m in love with the journey.

I feel bad for anyone that doesn’t wake up with purpose.

Every time I hear someone say “I’m bored” I cringe.

Because of what we’ve created, happily, I’ll never be bored for the rest of my life.

Every day I wake up inspired to tackle another project, to make our business better, to make the people in it better, and to inspire positive change in the world.

That is a mission that will never be over, and it’s why I’m so passionate about what I get to do.

Most want to eat but are not willing to cook…

Most have no context to what goes into running a small business…

And to be frank, most aren’t willing to put in the work.

I’m working on being okay with that because I often hear the “you’re so lucky” phrase a lot, and to be clear, I feel very blessed and fortunate, and I’m confident in saying it’s been 1% luck and 99% working harder than anyone else I know.

We see the glamorous social media posts, but we don’t see the e-mails at midnight, the vacuuming or cleaning on Sundays, the tough conversations and decisions, the hours and days away from family, the risks, and the arguments with the spouse around “how the heck are we going to do this?”

For me, it’s still a work in progress.

I choose to work 14-16 hour days, not out of necessity, but out of love. It causes a lot of stress, but I’m not sure I can picture it any other way.

As for 2020…

It’s going to be a big year.

We have a lot of exciting things planned to up our experience at Spurling Fitness, prevent it from getting stale, and keep us moving forward.

We’ll be breaking ground on our 5,300sf expansion in the spring which will allow us to expand our service offerings to help more people, and offer more events and programs for the local community and the health and fitness space nationwide.

We’re fortunate to be sought out for coaching from other gyms, and we intend to up our education game to the industry in 2020 as what we’re doing at Spurling I know is something truly special.

In addition to upping our client experience at the gym, completing our expansion, and being a bigger educational leader in the fitness industry, we have some big philanthropic goals including increasing our monetary donations and volunteer hours, plus a mission trip overseas to help those in need.

To wrap this up…

I want to leave a legacy of changing the world, changing our community, and inspiring positive change in every person that steps foot in our door.

That is why I’ll never be bored, and that is why I have to stop it here for today.

I could go on and on, but there is work to be done, there is still negativity in our world, there are still people who need help in our community, and someone reading this needs us, they need you, and I see it as my duty to do anything I can to help.

Thank you, again, for eight amazing years.

I’m looking forward to the next eight years of every day getting….

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

20 Insights As We Head Into 2020

2019 was quite the year, and if I’m being honest, one of the harder years of my life.

But like anything, I firmly believe we grow most through challenges.

I was open earlier this month about the health issues we personally experienced with Ellie and her pregnancy, and paired with trying to be a strong husband and father while being a busy entrepreneur has certainly brought amongst its challenges.

Personally, I’m looking forward to 2020, continuing to grow as a leader for our community, to support our amazing team, and to be a better husband and father.

We have some amazing things planned for 2020 for our community, and together with my amazing team, we’re going to do big things. I’m looking forward to having you a part of the journey.

As I sign off in 2019, I thought it would be nice to share 20 of my best insights as we head into 2020.

1. Be present: I write this as number one for the simple fact that it’s my everyday reminder. We only have today. We can dream about the future, but we only have this moment, right now, and it can be taken away from us at any moment.

2. Stretch yourself: If you were to tell me eight years ago we’d be where we are today I would have said “no freaking way!” However, none it came from being conservative. None of it came without an extreme amount of stretch and sacrifice. I find that most people spend time in “motion” (spinning wheels, talking, planning, etc), but never take action. Also, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward, the harder the work and the bigger the sacrifice. You can’t want to the reward without making the sacrifice.

3. Happiness is about the journey: There is no destination. I am at my happiest when I am working on something that can never be “done.” I can never stop developing as husband or father. I can never stop developing as a leader. I will never inspire positive change in everybody. However, it’s that “never ends” feeling that makes the journey so fun. It’s about the journey, not the destination.

4. What problem do you want? We’ll always have problems. More money, more time, more anything. It doesn’t remove all our problems, it just gives us another problem. In 2020, you’ll have problems, but it’s about choosing what problems you want.

5. Process-based goals: As you look to set goals in 2020 set process-based goals, not outcome-based goals. For example, don’t set the goal of losing 10 pounds (outcome), set the goal of getting in 10 workouts per month (process). You can control the process, you can never control the outcome.

6. Reading for the win. I don’t care if you read a physical book, listen to it, whatever. Reading every day, in my humble opinion, is non-negotiable. It develops you, it challenges you to think differently, it builds a habit. There is only one negative to reading which is all that you’re not learning by not reading.

7. It’s all connected. This is one of my missions in life is to better educate the community that it’s all connected. Everything. We can’t try and isolate one thing. We can’t try to fix one thing while ignoring the rest. From a small example, if your knee hurts, we can’t just look at the knee, it’s probably being caused by something above or below. To a big example like your whole wellness. If you hate your job it’s going to impact your fitness. If you’re stressed it’s going to impact your nutrition. If your finances are not in order it’s going to impact every other area of life. If you want to truly develop (physically, emotionally, financially, etc) as a person we need to realize that it’s all connected.

8. Find a coach. In every area of life that’s excelling I have a coach, and if I’m being honest, in the areas that are lacking, I don’t have a coach. Everyone needs a coach. You’re not better than anyone. We all need a coach. If you want to get better at fitness and nutrition, get a coach. If you want to get your business in order, get a coach. If you need help with your marriage, get a coach. We all need more coaches in our life.

9. You get paid for done. Not thinking, not brainstorming, but straight up action. It amazes me, and I’m guilty of it myself, how long we let things sit on our plates. If you look at it, that act of finishing it is really not that big, but we never get it done. The people that implement the fastest win.

10. Have a really clear vision. I spent two days in Michigan this past year learning about visioning and I’m just cracking the surface. However, I do know one thing about visioning. It works. Write down (they key) where you want to be, visualize it, and then set your goals to get you there. Most of us set goals but we don’t know where we want to be. Figure out the vision first then work backward.

11. Write everything down. Your brain is best at creating ideas, it’s terrible at storing ideas. Your vision? Write it down. Your goals? Write it down. An idea you have? Write it down. Did you workout yesterday? Write it down. Your business operations? Write it down. Everything should be on paper. The physical act of writing it will allow you to comprehend better, and more importantly, you’ll have something to reference back to. Stop keeping stuff in your head.

12. More Kindness. It’s one of our core values at Spurling, and I’m at my best when I am kind. The world needs more kindness. We need more kindness. There is no negative to being more kind.

13. More Play. It’s another core value at Spurling, and I am at my best when it feels like play. Playing with my kids, having fun with my family and my team, making games out of work. We all need to put our head down and work sometimes, but if you’re not having fun, what’s the point?

14. Be curious. Another value at Spurling. immerse yourself in anything you want to learn, go all in, get curious. Do you want to learn more about a person or a thing? Ask questions. Are you furious at someone or something? Get curious. We could all benefit from being more curious.

15. Have some values. As you grow the opportunities become more and more, you can become stretched thin. Know your values, know what you stand for. Your values become your guardrails so you know what to say yes to, and more importantly, you know what to say no to.

16. “I can’t.” You can, you just may not want to put in the work, and that’s okay, but you can if you want to. If you truly want something bad enough you’ll find a way. Try to say “I can’t” a little less in 2020.

17. I wish. That's the biggest phrase I work to avoid. I wish I went on that trip. I wish I tried that adventure. I wish I made that career jump. When I'm 95 years old and sitting in a rocking chair I can only ask for one thing...no regrets. I did everything I could to make an impact and leave a legacy. I don't want to say "I wish." Here’s to no regrets in 2020

18. Stop comparing. We all have our own visions, our own goals, our own things that make us happy. Some want a big house to host family dinners, some want a tiny home. Some want to travel the world and some want to be a homebody. Some want to have 6-pack, others just want to feel better. You’ll have your best year ever if you stop comparing yourself to others.

19. Awareness is key. This was a big one this year, for myself, and getting others to realize it. The more self-aware you can be about yourself, how you tick, the better you’ll be. Also, the awareness to realize you don’t know what you don’t know. Having the awareness and humility to understand that. And finally, the awareness of what you’re saying and doing, and how others are perceiving it. It’s huge.

20. 1% Better. This is the motto I live by. Every day I try to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, a better business owner, and a better leader. 1% better every day. It keeps me hungry yet humble. It's everything. 2020 will have highs, and it will have lows, but ultimately it will be your best year yet if you just try to get a little better every day, realize that success is never a straight line and that you determine what success looks like.

Cheers to 2020!

I’m excited to learn, grow, and be humbled alongside you.

Taking the time to read what I write means you said no to something else, and for that, I’m honored.

I hope I have made a small positive change in your life, for that, is my mission.

Happy New Year!

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

An Uncomfortable Feeling...

Think back to the most significant things you've done in life. 

New job. 

Got married. 

Had a kid.

Bought a house. 

Started a business. 

Prior to those events, and probably after as well, you had a feeling of discomfort. 

Any significant change is going to come with some sense of feeling uncomfortable. 

However, anything worth talking about, any big change, requires discomfort. 

It's easy to do the status quo. 

It's easy and comfortable to think you're eating healthy "most of the time."

It's easy and comfortable to just buy the gym membership. 

Easy is comfortable. 

No change is made while being comfortable. 

Use the above examples, or any significant thing you've done in your life, it always has a level of discomfort. 

If you want to make a change, you have to be uncomfortable. 

If you're not uncomfortable, I'm certain the change won't be drastic enough to see the results you're looking for, in any facet of life. 

Leaving a job you hate is uncomfortable. 

Leaving a relationship you're not happy in is uncomfortable. 

Walking into a gym for the first time is uncomfortable. 

There are different examples in all aspects of life but the principle is the same. 

Anything substantial change requires a certain level of feeling uncomfortable and it's that feeling that causes a change to happen. 

So, as you set goals in the new year, as you look to "restart" and make 2020 your best year yet, make sure you pick things and make choices that scare you a little. 

Remember, fear is just an emotion. 

Very rarely are any of your choices going to have any substantial negative effect.

Ask yourself, what's the absolute worse that can happen?

Joining a good gym and making smarter nutrition choices is uncomfortable, but you're not going to die. 

In fact, as we know, the opposite will happen :)

But I'm not naive to realize that change is scary, whatever it is. 

Just remember this...

No change is made while being comfortable. 

It's discomfort that creates the leverage that makes something worthwhile. 

If you're not uncomfortable in what you contribute to this world each day, I'm certain you're not bringing your potential.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Spurling Community Helps Nearly 100 Families In RSU 21 This Holiday Season

The power of community.

We’ll always be categorized as a gym, and that’s cool, but until you’re inside our community, you don’t realize we’re so much more than that.

Sure, people sign up for training sessions to work with coaches 2-4 times per week, get sweaty, improve their health and fitness, and go after their goals.

But what you don’t see…

The hangouts after every workout sipping on coffee in the lobby…

The women that meet up for coffee, a glass of wine, or dinner, women that never knew each other before Spurling…

The men that grab a beer or watch the football game together on Sundays…

The group that played in a dodgeball tournament together…

The group that ran their 5k together or the parents that attended each other’s kids events to support…

Or what about the hours volunteered at trail clean-ups, food pantries, or Thanksgiving meal drop-offs…

Not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars that were raised for local charities…

The encouragement, the support, the feeling of it being your own journey, yet never feeling alone.

That is just some of the power of our community this year.

Our Spurling Community…

This month we put a small tree in our lobby with tags of families that needed some support this year.

To say our community stepped up would be an understatement.

We were able to collect hundreds of gifts in our lobby, helping nearly 100 families in the RSU 21 community.

That’s the power of community.

That’s what’s important this holiday season, and will continue to be important as we head into 2020.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

You are not alone

You are not alone.

Every week you all gift me a space to speak to you.

And I’d like to take a moment right now to thank you for that opportunity.

I don’t take lightly, the number of you who are out there, reading my words. Your time is precious and if you are right now reading these words, you are gifting me with your time and attention.

And so, with appreciation for your time, I have one message that I want to share with you:

You are not alone.

I don’t know what’s going on in your world right now. While the holidays bring joy to many people, they bring sorrow and difficulty to many more. Perhaps you have had a recent loss, and this is your first holiday without a loved one. Perhaps the holidays have only represented a time of stress, based on experiences growing up.

It’s possible that, irrelevant of the holidays, you have a tough time this time of year because of the short dates and long nights. Maybe you are mired in a difficult work or relationship situation that is weighing you down with stress and hopelessness.

Maybe you feel hopeless for reasons for which you have no words. Maybe life is hard and that’s all that you know. That life is hard.

Maybe you are struggling with addiction or anxiety.

I don’t know.

But what I’ve learned in recent weeks is that there are still so many people out there that assume that they alone bear the burden. They alone are miserable in a marriage, in their head, in their job, in their anxiety, in their depression….

I try to write about my anxiety and depression if for no other reason than to wave a flag of solidarity that says, me too. Because not enough of us do it.

So my message today is straight forward - regardless of your struggle and you, you alone are the only one who can name that struggle, you are not alone.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

Make no mistake about it, it takes courage to own your struggle. Make no mistake about it, it takes courage to own what is yours.

But, as you read these words, if you think that it is only you who feels however you feel then I need you and I need you desperately to know this -

You are not alone.

But that’s not to say that you can sit back and wait. You will have to put your foot forward. You will have to find it in yourself to reach out. But I want you to know that if you reach out, you WILL find someone on the other end.

Please, please, please - if you know nothing else on this day - I need you to know this:

You are not alone.

Can You Make Ice?

I know, silly question.

Of course we all know how to make ice.

But what about melting it?

Let’s picture this.

Imagine you have an ice cube sitting on the table in front of you.

The room is cold and you can see your breath.

It’s currently 25 degrees…

Ever so slowly the room begins to heat up.

26 degrees…

27 degrees…

28, 29, 30, 31…

Still nothing.

Then, 32 degrees.

The ice begins to melt.

A one-degree shift, not a noticeable difference, seemingly no difference, but it unlocked a huge change.

We often get frustrated with our results, but what we often don’t realize is sometimes we’re heating up the room.

Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions which build up the potential required to unleash major change.

We need to stick through it, stay with it long enough to build up those habits before we see tangible results.

If you find yourself struggling it’s often because you haven’t yet crossed that bridge of potential…you might be at 31 degrees.

When you finally breakthrough, you and those around you, will think of it as overnight success, but we need to know that it was all the work we did leading up to it.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking a fitness result, a financial result, a business result, a growth in your career, or a breakthrough in a relationship.

All big things come from small beginnings.

Keep showing up, building those habits, and stacking those wins.

1% Better.

Dedicated To Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Don't Make This Mistake...

As I mentioned last week, the team and I read a book together each quarter, and then recap it together…

This quarter we’re reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.

I can’t speak highly enough about the book, it has probably been one the best books I’ve read on habit change, which is what we’re all trying to do.

The outcomes we’re looking for are all the result of our current behaviors, and our current behaviors are made up of our current habits.

So, it makes sense if we want to make any changes, (fitness, productivity, social, financial, etc), we first must change our habits.

As I eluded to last week, there are several golden concepts that I’ll share that really stood out to me, and the one I wanted to share today is the difference between being in motion and taking action.

At the surface, they sound similar.

Being in motion is a good thing, right?

Ehh, as always, it depends.

Being in motion means you’re planning, learning, and strategizing.

Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result.

• Here are some examples of being in motion…

• Outling goals for 2020

• Answering e-mail

• In search of a better diet plan

• Researching the best gym for me

• Studying for a presentation or test

Those are all great things, but they will never produce the result we’re looking for.

In turn, we have to ask ourself what is the action we’re going after?

If searching for a better diet plan is motion, actually eating healthy meals is action.

If preparing for a presentation is motion, delivering the presentation is action.

Now, motion is useful at times, we just can’t get caught up in all motion (picture a spinning wheel), and no action (wheel rolling forward).

It’s a slipper slope…

We often spend more time in motion because motion makes us feel like we’re making progress, without running the risk of failure.

Boom!

That’s it right there.

Let me say that again…

We often spend more time in motion because motion makes us feel like we’re making progress, without running the risk of failure.

Taking action in fitness means showing up at the gym, and that means we might feel stupid, we might not know what to do, or we might not get the results we’re looking for.

So we just spend more time in motion researching.

Taking action in a presentation or project means delivering it, producing it, and that means you’re on stage, you’re up for critics, and you might feel stupid.

So we just spend more time in motion preparing and researching.

Motion makes you feel like you’re getting things done.

But really, you’re just preparing to get something done.

When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something.

Oh, another great one liner I took from the book.

If you’re struggling to go from motion to action there are two things you can do:

1. Set a schedule for your actions

   1. I’m going to show up at the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday

   2. I’m going to publish an article on Monday and Thursday

2. Pick a date to shift from motion to action

   1. Setting a schedule works for reoccurring things, like working out. But what about what time things like writing a book, releasing a product, or submitting a major project?

   2. These require planning up front, but set yourself a date, a deadline, that you announce publicly. Now you can’t spend all the time in motion, you need to produce, you need to take action.

Motion will never produce a final result.

Action will.

When you’re in motion, you’re planning and strategizing and learning. Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result.

Are you doing something? Or are you just preparing to do it?

Are you in motion? Or are you taking action?

1% Better.

Dedicated To Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Don't Copy/Paste...

This topic has come up 2-3 times this week, so I thought it might merit an entire post.

Expectations.

We can’t copy/paste them.

Let me add some context…

A couple weeks ago I was talking with a gym client about workout frequency.

Three times per week seems like a fair frequency, right?

Sure, it’s about every other day.

However, I don’t want you to copy/paste your workout frequency across all 52 weeks of the year.

The week of Christmas is probably going to be pretty tough to get that in…

You get sick for a couple days with the flu, that’s going to be hard to get in three workouts, if any.

Your mom is in the hospital and you need to fly down to Florida to see her, no way three workouts are happening that week.

I think it’s great to have habits and goals, but we can’t copy/paste expectations across the entire year, it needs to be fluid, ebb and flow for what’s going on in life.

Now, I’m not saying you can lean back and coast and always make excuses, but you definitely need to look at the month, and the week, and ask yourself “what is challenging, yet realistic?”

Yesterday Coach Chris brought his wife in, Sarah, and they did a presentation to the team about what makes strong relationships.

A lot of the discussion came back to communication and not carrying the same expectations through different stages of life.

In college going out with friends 2-3 times per week was normal….

Once you enter the “real world” you might go out once a week, and the responsibilities outside of your job are minimal….

Then you start to stack on a career, a house, pets, and kids…

Megan and I have been communicating recently…

We can’t copy/paste the expectations we had for quality time with each other, stress levels, etc to three years ago when our entire family was made up of the two of us and a laid back black lab.

Today we’re balancing two kids, one who is exploring his boundaries as every two-year does, and one who is exploring her first couple weeks on earth, on top of everything with my businesses.

Our expectations as a family on every level need to be completely different.

Now, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push to get better, challenge each other to communicate better, and assure we’re taking care of ourselves, but the expectations are totally different.

The final conversation that came up about this was in business…

Our business is approaching a decade, 10 years old.

The expectations can’t be copy/pasted year over year…

What we can deliver consistently with 400 clients compared to 4 clients when I first started is drastically different.

We need to keep the standards high, always striving to get better, but assure we can deliver a consistent experience across every single client interaction.

That changes expectations of everything we would love to do.

When I first started Josh and I were it (he was an intern).

We would be together 14+ hours a day, communicating non-stop.

Now, if we want to do something, we need to make sure 10 people are clear about it, understand it, and are bought in.

Now, that certainly comes with a lot of positives…

For example, together with our clients, we were able to help almost 100 families with Christmas presents this year.

We were able to donate over $10,000 to local charities this year alone…

We are able to provide amazing jobs for our team members….

We are able to help a lot of people change their lives, and that is the most rewarding.

But the expectations can’t be the same…

In doesn’t matter what area of life we’re talking about…

I’m all for getting better, as you know, I want to keep challenging myself and everyone around me, but I also want to make sure we’re adjusting expectations accordingly.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

What do you do with the mad?

Last Friday night I went to see the new Mr. Rogers movie and spoiler alert:

Bring tissues.

If it seems like there has been an increase of media and merchandise around Mr. Rogers in the past two years, it’s because there has. 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the first Mr. Rogers show, and while there were books by and about him, I was only reminded of him by during my trips back to our home area of Western Pennsylvania.

I of course remember him with fondness from my childhood, as without cable t.v. or DVR’s we looked forward to and tuned in to particular shows each day or each week.

But it is his re-emergence into my adulthood these past few years that has me looking so hard at my life – my habits – my emotions – my interactions with people. And kindness. As I learn more and more about Fred Rogers and his life, I am blown away and confounded by the kindness that he seemed to live.

He lived kindness.

I adopted the phrase “be kind” in 2016 as I searched for a tag line for my kimlloydfitness.com website. I sign all of these emails with that phrase. I make a conscience effort to be kind in many ways throughout the day. But I fail more times than I succeed.

And I cannot say that I live kindness.

Because life. Because emotions. Because interactions with other humans. Because complicated relationships. Because misunderstood communication. Because a lack of communications. Because a one hour commute to and from work . Because of the negative stories I tell myself. Because self-esteem.

That. That is the struggle. Or at least it’s my struggle.

There is a scene from the movie where the main character (a writer for Esquire magazine), turns to Mr. Rogers’ wife and basically asks if he is always like this. If he is always so gentle and deliberate and compassionate.

And she says that he does get angry. He does get upset. But that he works at it. At himself. He works on himself. So, she says, he prays and he plays the piano and he swims laps.

He worked at it. He worked at living kindly.

You may remember that one of his more famous songs was “What do you do with the mad that you feel, when you feel so mad you could bite?”

The answer is, you feel it. You let yourself feel it. When is the last time that you truly let yourself feel an emotion without policing yourself? Without stifling your tears at a movie? Or apologizing to someone for venting? Or putting a lid on whatever you’re feeling because you don’t want to take up space in someone else’s life or someone else’s day?

For years, I wore as a badge of honor the description of being even-keeled, especially as an athlete. Never too up, never too down. That managing of my emotions was what I’d learned, and it served me well as an athlete.

But I’ve spent the better part of the last 20 years trying to lean in to feelings and understand them and process them and work through them. Those of you that have read my writing for any length of time know that – and you know that I work through and process some of my thoughts and feelings here, with all of you who are kind enough to spend your time reading my words.

I believe I’m coming to understand that living kindness – really living kindness – means daily work. Meditation or prayer for the mind – exercise for the body – nourishment for the soul - connection to others - and more than anything else – a willingness to have compassion and understanding for those who are angry and defensive and short with their words. Who are thoughtless in their actions and interactions with others.

To try to ask why, what has happened to another person in their life that would make them so brittle and angry, instead of reacting to that anger with more anger.

I think Mr. Rogers is popular now, not just because of recent movies and documentaries and podcasts (Finding Fred). But because kindness, if you absorb the news, feels more like a bumper sticker than a practice.

I have, in the past four years of blogging, become more and more open with my writing. And this quote below from Mr. Rogers probably sums up best why I’ve chosen to do so.

“Every one of us longs to be in touch with honesty. ... I think we're really attracted to people who will share some of their real self with us.”

I think so too. I think that’s why coaching is such a privilege. It’s why writing is such a privilege.

If only we can learn to share a little more of our real selves with each other – maybe that’s the way to living kindness.

Thank you for the privilege of your time.

Simple Two-Step Process

Each quarter the team reads a book together and we recap it and chat action items at the end of the quarter.

I’m prepping for a recap meeting next week and picking out some of the big takeaways from the book, most of which I’ll turn into posts for you to ready because this quarter’s book might be one of my all-time favorites…

Atomic Habits, by James Clear.

As the name eludes to, it’s all about making small daily habit changes that have a lasting effect.

It’s been a game-changer.

In one of the first chapters, James talks about how we need to create “identity-based” habits.

If you’ve been following our message for a while you know we talk a lot about “Finding Your Why.”

In Atomic Habits, James’ essentially labels that as your identity and makes a strong argument for any change, any habit, requires a new identity.

It comes down to a simple two-step process:

1. Decide the type of person you want to be.

2. Prove it to yourself with small wins.

First, with any change, you must decide who you want to be?

What do you want to stand for?

Who do you wish to become?

Most people know the outcome or the result they’re looking for…

A lean stomach…

More money…

And that’s fine, but start there and work backward.

Ask yourself…

“Who is the type of person that could get the outcome I want?”

It’s not about the goal, it’s about the identity.

I have a goal of writing every day, I need to first choose to identify as a writer.

I have a goal of reading every day, I need to first choose to identify as a reader.

He uses two examples in the book…

Two people are trying to quit smoking, a hard habit to change.

They are each offered a cigarette…

Person one says, “No thanks, I’m trying to quit.”

A pretty common response.

Person two says, “No thanks, I’m not a smoker.”

See the difference.

They’ve internally chosen that they are not a smoker anymore.

That makes a big difference as we look to make any change.

In the other example, he shares a story of a friend who lost 100 pounds simply by asking herself…

“What would a healthy person do?”

All day long she would use that question as a guide…

Would a healthy person walk or take the bus?

Would a healthy persona order a burrito or a salad?

By constantly asking herself that question, she changed her identity over time to be a healthy person.

Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits.

The focus should always be on becoming the type of person you want to be, not getting a particular outcome.

Change is hard.

But it all starts with habits.

Start working towards this two-step process for any area of your life and let me know how it goes.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Let it be

I am an over-thinker.

There. I said it.

In fact one of my favorite quotes is “hang on, let me overthink about it.”

I often spend my drive home picking apart conversations from the day - things people said - things I read - text messages I received or sent - and I find ways to obsess about them in a way that can work me into a downright tizzy by the time I pull into my driveway.

That whole idea of telling yourself stories in the absence of knowing what’s really going on?

Yep. That’s me. All. Day. Long.

I’ve always done some version of this. As an adult, I’ve learned that this kind of obsessing is often associated with generalized anxiety. Which, in my experience, is slightly freaking out about everything all of the time….

When I say slightly, what I mean is that my brain actually plays like ESPN. There’s a show playing on the main screen, but there is also a ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen 24/7. Through commercials and games and specials….and it repeats itself.

That’s my brain.

In my early twenties a friend introduced me to the idea of envisioning your mind as an open palm, as opposed to a closed fist.

The thought comes in to your palm, she said, and then you let it go.

Um…yeah….

No.

As with many of those concepts, I think they’re great ideas - in theory. I just struggle to put them into practice. There are any number of strategies that you can use in meditation to help clear your mind. You can put your thoughts on a boat and sail them down the river. You can imagine your’re a monkey swinging through the forest with a machete, cutting down the thoughts as they appear.

Although I think I might have made that last one up.

Recently, I read a quote from author John Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go There You are.

“It’s not a matter of ‘letting go.’ You would if you could. Instead of ‘let it go’ we should probably say “let it be.”

More than the idea of an open palm, or monkeys with machetes, or thoughts floating down the river, this idea really resonated with me. I have confessed before that I am a very high empath - which often leaves me feeling like I’m a lint roller for people’s emotions. Anger, frustration, sadness, anxiety - you name it and if someone around me is feeling it, you can be sure that I’m feeling it too.

On the one hand, I think that helps me to be more compassionate. On the other hand, I’m a still a lint roller for human emotions and there is still a ticker playing in my head.

Because of the sheer amount of thoughts bouncing around in my head, I often find the idea of letting go oddly overwhelming. Letting go is really, really hard work - it requires a presence of mind that I can’t always muster.

But for some reason, I take some peace from the idea of letting it be. Like I can step away from whatever thoughts or feelings I’m experiencing, if only for a few moments. I don’t have to do anything with the thoughts. I don’t have to let go, I don’t have to ruminate - I can just put them on a shelf in the corner of the room for a little bit.

So whatever it is that is rattling around in your head today, or whatever 20 things are rattling around, take a moment to step back and breathe. And let it be.

If it worked for Paul McCartney, perhaps it can work for you and me too.

Always Something

I hope you're reading this enjoying the snow :)

Did your day get a little messed up because of no school or the storm in general?

Mine too :)

That actually ties into the lesson for today. 

It might strike a few nerves, but I think it's true. 

There will always be something!

Today it was snow, tomorrow it will be a sick kid, and the day after that you'll be busy at work. 

A month from now you'll tweak your knee on the ice, and a year from now your family will need you more than ever because of health issues.

I literally scream inside when people tell me they're too busy right now, or they don't have time right now. 

Not because I don't believe them...

But because I know, for all of us, it will ALWAYS be something. 

As I've said before, it's not saying " I don't have time right now..."

It's instead saying "It's not a priority right now..."

And let me be clear...

That's totally okay...sometimes! 

But please know, there will be always be something, you will always be busy, there will always be something that you think has to take priority, and it will never be a perfect time. 

I cry inside, not because I don't believe you, but I because I want to help you, and I know I can't help you if you're not under our roof. 

So...

Like always, it comes back to mindset. 

There will never be the perfect time to start anything, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking exercise, a project at work, or whatever...

You will never be 100% ready.

You will hit bumps in the road, you will always have other things pulling at you and taking priority, and that's totally okay. 

It's those that treat the journey as just that, a journey. 

There will be ups and downs, there will be times that are harder, and times that are easier, but it's those that ride out the storm, stick with it, constantly put one foot in front of the other, and are a part of a community that supports them, and rides out the storm together. 

There will always be something...

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Can You Make It?

If you're like me, you're moving a little slow this Monday morning...

 The stuffing and mash potatoes still weighing you down?

The snow?

The Patriot’s loss?

In all seriousness, I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving.  

Mine was filled with fun, family, and food. 

As I awoke this morning and thought about what I was going to write about I realized that yesterday was December 1st.

One more month in 2019!

Can you believe it?

On to a new decade!

It got me thinking...

What can we achieve in 30 days? 

I guess it depends on what you compare it to...

In the grand scheme of things 30 days is just a dot, but think of everything you can get done, how much progress you can make.

That's 720 hours. 

Are you going to be like everyone else and just "wait til' January?"

Or are you going to finish 2019 strong?

I always loved the final push of the year. 

I look back at my goals and realize I crushed some out of the park, and others that it seems like I didn't even put a dent in them. 

I use the final stretch of the year to see how close I can get to those goals. 

The next month will pass no matter what...

We'll all be watching the ball drop and ringing in the new year...

Will you be the same person then as you are now?

If you follow our 1% better motto, that's a chance to be over 30% better! 

I like to make sure you leave each post with an action step. 

Something to go do, rather than just read, nod your head and continue on...

My action step for you is to set three mini-goals that you are going to achieve by the end of 2019. 

They can be fitness related, behavior-related, work-related, or life-related. 

It doesn't matter. 

But don't just be a lump on a log, go through the motions, and wait until the new year.  

Write them down, hang them somewhere you see them every day, and start chipping away. 

One Percent of people reading this will actually do it, but those that do will have success. 

Here's your spark, go finish 2019 strong! 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Spurling Small Business Saturday

When I started in 2012 I had $4 in my checking account, just bought a few random pieces of equipment off Craigslist, signed a lease in a 1940’s warehouse, and had zero clients.

Today we have a full-time team of 10, we provide full-time jobs in the fitness industry, something that is so rare, and something that I’m so proud of.

Do you know anyone retired from the fitness industry? Me either.

That’s my goal with our team…

To create such a supportive and positive work environment that they want to retire with us.

To date we have delivered over 40,000 training sessions with over 200,000 total visits, we’ve purchased our own building to be the home base of Spurling, and we’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars back into our facility, our clients, and our community.

We’ve had clients lose 100lbs, and we’ve had clients stick with a gym after saying “they hate gyms.”

We’ve had clients get off their blood pressure medicine, and we’ve had clients be able to go on a hike with their kids for the first time.

We change lives. How cool is that!? Not many people can say that.

Since 2012 we have changed the way fitness is done, we have changed the landscape of the fitness space, and we are now one of the most successful training gyms in the country.

I live and breath everything about our Spurling Community, and since January 2, 2012, I have never felt like I have had a day of “work.”

To some it’s just a small business, to me it’s my dream.

When you support a small business you are supporting a dream.

You’re supporting the dream of my team and me, and for that, I’m forever grateful.

Yesterday I sent out some of our Black Friday Weekend deals, and I wanted to make sure you have another opportunity to take a peek at them.

—->>> https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

But I have some bad news…

One, these deals are only happening this weekend, through Monday.

Two, they are selling fast.

For example, our December is free if you pay in 2020 promotion has just 4 left as we’re limiting it to 10 and we’ve already had 6 clients take advantage.

So before, I go, I wanted to highlight them real quick.

Deal # 1: December is on us, 100% free if you pay your 2020 membership in full.

That’s a savings of ~$200+ depending on what membership you’re on.

Deal # 2: 30 For $30: Upgrade your membership to our unlimited small group option, the premium membership, for the next 30 days to finish 2019 strong and get all the extra coaching, for just $30.

Deal # 3: 10% off all in-stock retail to include My Zone Heart Rate Monitors, Apparel, Supplements, and At Home/Travel Equipment.

Deal # 4: If you have a friend or family member who has always wanted to give Spurling a try we’re offering up our 30 Day Trial Membership where they can experience all things Spurling for just $89.

All the deals can be found here: https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

I know you’re getting bombarded with promotions this weekend, but with today being (Spurling) Small Business Saturday, we’d love for you to support us and all the other local businesses in our great community.

Thanks for being a part of our dream.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

PS: If you’re like me you’re going to get busy with holiday decorating, watching football, and hanging out with family so make sure you take advantage of these amazing deals right now. Just click the link below, fill out the form, and Mel will reach out to you to get you the deal.

https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

Black Friday Weekend

Black Friday Weekend is here!

We have 4 awesome deals, some for members, some for “soon to be-members” who want to give Spurling a try.

Whether you’re shopping for others, or doing a little something for you, giving the gift of health one of the only gifts that keeps giving and giving.

All the amazing deals can be found here: https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

Deal # 1: 30 Days For $89

Have you ever wanted to give Spurling a try?

How about giving the gift of health to a family or friend?

Come experience Spurling for 30 days and get all the great goodies…

A coach with you at every single workout so you’re doing what is best for you, and doing it the right way….

A team that holds you accountable every step of the way with constant check-ins, and…

The best damn fitness family around that will cheer you on, support you, and make sure you’re never feeling overwhelmed.

Grab the 30 Day Experience before it goes away on Monday: https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

Deal #2: December For Free!

Ready to commit and make 2020 your best year ever?

Pay your 2020 membership and full and December 2019 is on us, 100% free.

That’s a savings of ~$200+ depending on your level of membership.

We are limiting these to the first 10 people, and we anticipate this one will go fast.

Grab it before Monday here: https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

Deal #3: 30 For $30

This one is for current clients….

Ready to upgrade your membership and finish 2019 strong.

For just $30, upgrade to unlimited small group personal training sessions for the next 30 days.

The perfect boost to finish the year off with a bang.

Grab it here: https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

Deal #4: 10% Off In-Stock Retail

Are you looking for some at-home bands, some protein powder, or some Spurling Swag?

Through Monday, all in-stock retail is 10% off.

Make your selection here: https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday

We know you’re going to get bombarded promotions over the next couple of days, but we hope you’ll choose local, choose the gift of health, and take advantage of these awesome deals before Monday.

1% Better.

Dedicated To Your Success,

Doug Spurling

PS: No, in order to be fair, you can’t claim these on Tuesday. We hardly ever run promotions as our community is near capacity, so don’t delay, take advantage of these amazing deals before Monday.

—->>> https://spurlingfitness.com/blackfriday