As a fit pro you will inevitably teach at multiple locations. Your days will be filled with driving from one gym to another to engage and inspire new groups of people. This is AWESOME! However, it can get a little tricky, especially if you are subbing. And I should know. There have been points in my career when I was teaching at 6+ different facilities, often back to back. Many times I was challenged to remember what day it was and prayed I would go to the right gym.
Most of the time I was good. Most of the time I could juggle the craziness that was my rat-race. But on a few rare occasions, it all caught up to me. As I discussed in my article “6 Group Exercise Horror Stories I’ve Lived to Tell“, I can remember one time completely showing up at the wrong facility and having no idea I had done it. This was back before the days of smart phones, and I had left my calendar at home, so I was relying all on memory. It was embarrassing to explain to my coordinator, and I felt horrible for the participants. I failed not only myself, but also all those who were excited to get their sweat on for the day.
Times are different now. We live in a world where our phones can give us all the information we need at a moments notice. We can get notifications at timed intervals of when and where we need to be. And best of all, we can color code items to recognize at a glance.
Make Your Calendar Explode
Colors make me happy. So even back in the days of my hand written calendar, I would box things with specific high lighter colors. My dry erase board schedule that hung on my door as a kid included specific colors for different activities. And these days, my Google calendar looks like a Skittles bag exploded on it with annoying pop-up reminders going off at all intervals. This works for me. I have fun checking my calendar because the colors make me smile, but I also know where I need to be at a quick glance.
Oh, and if you aren’t a Google calendar user, I highly recommend getting on board. Their interface is super easy to use and can allow for multiple calendars, different alarm intervals, and integrates easily on both Apple and Android devices. (And no, I am not getting any benefits from telling you how awesome Google is, I just love it!)
Find What Works
Even if your memory is amazing, and you have a photographic memory, I promise you that one day it will have a glitch and fail you. For those days, it is important to have a backup system. Create that back-up in a way that will help you see things at a glance. Whether it is a bright and colorful Google calendar, a hand-written old-school notebook, or one of the plethura of other “scheduling and task” apps on the market, find something that works for you and stay organized.
I want you to grow from my mistakes, so here’s to your new color-coded calendar!
