In 2013 I was a proud owner of a busy gym and health care business

I had however become disenchanted by a number of things.

Independent places like mine are lifestyle businesses, that’s not to say you don’t want to earn well.

It’s to say that you want to get paid in more ways than money.

You want to be paid in fun, connection, respect, health and energy. The business is an extension of who you are.

In the beginning that was abundant.

The members and clientele were people I had created personal relationships with many of them for years before.

Recently though a mass of members had joined that treated the place and people in it disrespectfully.

I couldn’t see a way out, I felt like it was going to be a long journey what ever plan I created.

There is no such thing as a quick fix though right?

Anything worth having takes time... right?

WRONG

I interviewed the 20% of clients that made up 80% of my income and I put the interview on the front page of my website along with the line

“We help business people to optimise their health and performance”

I then emailed all members saying that at the end of the month the membership fee would rise by 80%

I politely but clearly stated the true reasons.

I panicked for 5 days as emails poured in.

25% of membership left!

My income increased... significantly.

The people that remained were happier

My personal training applications increased by 5x in the following 12 months.

These weren’t my ideas, I consulted the right people who knew the business and knew where to hit so to speak.

Price is a story, who you help is a stories and how we do what we do should align with those things.

When I moved towards that I quickly alienated the right people and aligned with the right people (for the business)

It’s was a VERY QUICK fix and it wasn’t bad it was good.

There are things that take time but those things are elements of process like fat loss, cement drying, digestion, tissue damage heeling.

But it’s the process that lead to the success.

Forming habits, improving relationships, pain removal, improving sleep, health, energy, mental health, business, happiness, they ALL contain processes that are quick AND successful.

I say this not to prove a phrase wrong or as some pointless semantic exercise.

I say it because the short, process, direct, outcome driven option is often something we don’t even look for.

In fact we often assume if it was easy we would already have it and as a result we miss out on a lot of opportunity and progress.

Yes consistently, patience, endurance, hard work, they are all necessary ingredients of life.

But there is such thing as a quick fix and we over look it at our peril.