Network Magazine winter 2014 | Page 6

PECTIVE Proudly brought to you by precor.com REFLECTIONS OF INDUSTRY LEADERS The winner of Australian Fitness Network’s 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award ruminates on the power of change. WORDS: MARG ANDERSON hat an amazing weekend FILEX 2014 was. ‘Embracing Change’, the theme of this year’s convention, holds a very special meaning for me. Change has created many experiences in my fitness career: embracing change has only enriched it. The world around us changes constantly, and I’ve learnt that we have to choose whether or not to change with it. ‘If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got’ is a quote that perfectly sums up the need for change. Over my 30 years in the fitness industry I have experienced a sea of new ideas and industry transformation. Where we are today is unrecognisable from where we were in the 1980s. At times the amount of new information and ideas almost overwhelmed me, and I felt the temptation to sidestep the constant evolution and stay in my comfort zone, my safe familiar routine. To have done so, however, would have been a mistake. Learning to accept and manage change has taught me a lot about myself and brought insight into many situations, a journey of both personal and business growth and strength. W 6 | NETWORK WINTER 2014 We often resist change, and don’t realise that it is constantly occurring all around us. We can choose to see it as either a positive or a negative force in our lives. Whether small or big, forced or chosen, change is about closing one chapter and opening another. Of course, not all changes are pleasant – but they can bring about positive outcomes. In my early career there were very few professionally run fitness centres. Many operated without ethics, closing down suddenly and leaving a trail of disgruntled members in their wake, along with a damaged image of the fitness industry. One morning I found myself unemployed courtesy of one such centre. Suddenly I was forced into a state of change. A negative situation that forced me to reflect, reorganise and make a fresh start. training business with an emphasis on mind body and rehabilitation. Through vision and passion I found my fitness niche and achieved my long-term goal. I firmly believe that change is the key foundation to success. Change creates excitement and reward and the opportunity to become a leader. Change reminds us that anything is possible. We often ‘fail’ at change because we feel it has to