For this quarter’s edition of musings, I decided to sum up a few truths and ideas I’ve crystallised on that have come with the rollercoaster of continuing to build RNT.

1. Introspection + Action = Transformation

The entire journey of transformation that RNT embodies is one that is intangible in nature. Of course, the physical progress can be seen, but real transformation can’t be measured, seen or touched. Yet, you know when it’s happening. When you identify the muck through introspection, you’re able to act with spring cleaning to shed the skin to a new level. That’s when you begin to think, act and feel different. When you’re deep in the investment phase and have already gotten into the shape of your life, the future progress is increasingly
‘intangible dominant’. Crystallising my thoughts on the formula for transformation here really brought this home as to why we do what we do, and how.

2. Fitness Industry Paradigms

When building the infrastructure of RNT, a core philosophy I want our coaching team to live by is to ‘just coach’. I don’t want them to worry about sales, marketing, finance or admin. I want them to just coach. That way they can focus purely on coaching and serve from a place of strength, as opposed to anxiety or fear, as many coaches in this industry have to fall back on. This is a new paradigm for many, but one I want to continue to promote so we don’t lose more people to the toxicity of the industry (it’s shocking how many consider leaving each year), and so these coaches can live and breathe their purpose.

Another paradigm I want to change is around women in the fitness industry. With how male dominated this industry is, it’s important we continue to champion more women in influencing positions in the industry. Whether that’s operative roles in companies (such as ours, which is almost totally female based), or as coaches facilitating journeys, it needs to be brought to the limelight. There’s also a perception of female coaches not being able to effectively coach men that is still underlying in the industry, and this needs to change too.

3. Purpose Over Everything

Just like most, when the alarm goes off in the morning, I’d much rather hit snooze and sleep in for an extra couple of hours. But I can’t, because each morning the words ‘platform to transform’ come into my head. Creating a better platform to transform is what gets me out of bed each morning and at the laptop. It’s my purpose. Having a genuine purpose you can connect to allows everything to fall into place, and forms as part of your filter to make decisions against. It makes the need for profit obsolete.

“The ignorant work for their own profit… the wise work for the welfare of the world, without thought for themselves… Perform all work carefully, guided by compassion.” – Bhagavad Gita

When something isn’t aligned to it, you scrap it. When it serves, you lean in. Purpose, and the strive to want to create an impact in the world – whether it’s with a career, cause or loved ones – is one of the strongest commonalities in those who stay in shape too. Why? Because when you link your physical to your purpose, the requirement to be in shape becomes mission critical.

4. Clearing Distractions

It’s safe to say I made some pretty life changing decisions in quarter three. I formalised the future of the company while also getting engaged. Both breakthroughs came from a series of early morning walks in the final week of July. What I learned this quarter is that in order to go deep within and reveal my true self, I had to clear all distractions. It’s not been easy. I’ve always been someone who manifests stress physically. It comes out in rashes and dry skin for the most part – and through July and August I had this rash on my arm which I couldn’t quite figure out. I tried all the creams and steroid applications, nothing worked. Then after one of these discovery sessions, I spotted a tremendous problem in the company that I’d swept under the carpet subconsciously. Upon learning, I noticed itching my rash whenever thinking about it. When I nipped it in the bud, it disappeared overnight. It’s crazy what you can learn when you take away the distractions – the truth will always prevail, and life will take a different course.

5. Growth Mindset Through Change Management

Embracing change requires a growth mindset. In any form of transformation, of which the two I’ll reference will be business and your own self, change is part of the game. You can do two things at the point of change: step up or step out. Whether it’s a fear of accountability, fear of the unknown or fear of success, change will reveal whether you have a growth or fixed mindset.

A genuine growth mindset is one of the biggest commonalities, and foundations, for all of our long term investor clients who are able to stay in shape and continuously harness the power of the physical as the vehicle. When you unlock a genuine growth mindset, it means you’re willing to learn, be educated and try new things. It means you’re willing to take feedback to improve, be held accountable, problem solve and evolve thought.

I use the word genuine carefully, because a growth mindset is often a phrase people latch onto, but rarely match with actions in the face of challenge or change.  A true growth mindset rises to constructive feedback and accountability, and thrives off it – it’s why it’s a non-negotiable in our team. A true growth mindset takes ownership and responsibility seriously, and doesn’t defect.

6. What A Transformation Coach Is

This quarter has brought to light something I’ve known inside for a long time. That our work can be more powerful and productive than counsellors, doctors and therapists. There’s a big difference between a transformation coach and an online personal trainer. The latter will simply focus on diet and training. The former will give a completely holistic outlook, encompassing all the different pieces of the transformation puzzle. Transformation coaches can also be a sounding board to some of life’s most difficult scenarios, and give 90% of the solution: create a safe environment to ‘let it all out’. There’s so much power in this, and having faith in the journey, where you repeat cycles of introspection and action while creating opportunities to do so, is a big part of this. Transformation coaches require resilience, confidence, belief and strength that far surpasses ‘online personal trainers’, and the best analogy to give one is to be a ‘Professional Mate’.

7. Spiritual Explorations

Potentially the greatest personal growth in this quarter lied in my spiritual development, especially with how it pertains to the RNT journey. It was around about September time that I finally connected all the dots, and found how the journey’s real power is in its unique ability to marry all five pillars of health: physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual. Most people find the first glimpse of spirituality during the Grind – but it’s often only a glimpse if it’s not crystallised in the depths of the investment phase. As I wrote about in what’s turned out to be my favourite published article, Marrying the Five Pillars of Health in the RNT Journey:

The Reward phase is somewhat of an enigma. It’s a false paradise that doesn’t quite exist. Tangibly, perhaps so. In the context of our Journey, one in the Reward phase will have achieved mastery of the physical to an extent that there is no going back. The chariot is bulletproof. You continue to add more layers and strengthen it, but it’s never breaking down now.

What this brings is the clarity to fight a deeper struggle internally. You shed the skin to move up a few more levels, and begin to explore purpose, spirituality and the unanswerable questions in life. In the Grind phase, you will have gained glimpses of this level for a short period of time. As you become an Essentialist, you start asking questions about your flow, your relationships, and seek answers to challenging questions.

What most find is, once the Grind is over, this elevated state you’re in can be lost. That’s why it’s so key to act on your introspection, and invest seriously in moving up the levels. The glimpses you will have gained now become your reality when you’re at this stage of the Journey. Your physical is so crystallised, that your reason for physical health becomes solely to achieve your greater purpose in life. It allows you to seek this and explore it to its depth. Without a strong body, you have no foundation. Without clear windows on the chariot, it’s unrealistic you’ll see inside. The physical quest becomes spiritually connected. At this point you’re able to reveal your true authenticity, superpower and reason for existence. You can connect with this and start to connect the dots in your life.

Various different experiences, explorations and readings (all linked to clearing the distractions) have helped bring this all together, and it’s enhanced the sense of purpose I carry to know that I’m building something for the greater good of the world.

8. Education Begins From Day One

I’ve mentioned purpose and a growth mindset as key commonalities for staying in shape for life, and long term success. There’s another factor: education. Education begins from day one on the journey, and is the dual underpinning along with accountability that the journey thrives on. To successfully transform, you must be willing to learn, and use this journey as a self-education tool. When speaking to long-term RNTer, Akash Desai, on episode 166 of RNT Fitness Radio, he likened his first three years on the journey to be split into three:

Year One: Unlearning
Year Two: Building Rhythm
Year Three+: Performance Zone

Being able to unlearn is part of a growth mindset, and one of the core principles of Cleaning The Palate is to lay down a new foundation of knowledge to build upon, and begin your self-education process. Education happens in each phase, and never stops. Just like the journey, it’s intangible. Just like the journey, it never ends.