Author: Keri McKibbin

I generally don’t like taking risks. It makes me feel uneasy, it becomes gut-wrenching and I can feel sick for hours when I am agonising over an important decision even if its for the better, and I can sometimes feel worse even after I made it.

Then calm appears a day or two later and life seems “normal” all of a sudden, and most of the time I am glad I took the chance and went for it.

The other risks I don’t want to take is choosing not to exercise. I know this lack of action over time would cause me problems physically, mentally and change my outlook in life for the worse. This would be a MASSIVE risk and I’m determined not to take it.

Marc Randolph who started Netflix, talks in his new book That Will Never Work, about playing with with some early crazy ideas for a company way back in 1997. He had few believers, and would be about to go through many calamities. 

He eventually settled on a video streaming service called Netflix with the aim one day of being as big as ONE Blockbuster video shop. Many dramatic deep ups and downs followed, would test Randoph’s beliefs in what he was doing to the limit and beyond.

He even flew for a presentation to Blockbuster to offer them to buy his company in 2005, but the boss of Blockbuster literally laughed in his face when he said he wanted 50 million dollars for it, as video streaming even then was very much on the rise, and Blockbuster’s arrogance fuelled him to prove them wrong and take them on head on.

Randolph made it his mission to beat Blockbuster and put its horrid and hated trading practices to bed once and for all. 

Blockbuster like most of the Gym industry, relied on a huge part of its income through dreaded and hated late fees. Gyms rely on hooking you up to hated contracts, you never showing up or at least trying to catch you out with 31 days to cancel. 

This is one practice I despise with gyms, I know you do too, and that’s why we never do it. Keep your members by serving them well in every session and getting results for them, and not through contract trickery. 

Gyms, trainers, business of all kinds will come and go. If anyone wants to tie you up to a long term contract, run a mile because they should have confidence to keep you by their quality of service full stop. 

All businesses should be about retaining the people you have, and keep providing them with an incredible service and never take them for granted.

Blockbuster a once huge business went into bankruptcy just 5 years later after laughing Randolph and Netflix out of town, and Netflix eventually went on to attract 150 million customers that would revolutionise the world in terms of how most people watch TV. 

Treating their customers incredibly well was a the core of their idea from the very start. They stuck to their principles, their great service despite everyone trying to knock them down especially when the so called “big boys” got worried. The comparison between them and Blockbuster became like night and day.

It shows that if you have an instinct and passion for doing the best for people, can develop some resilience from coming back from a few knockdowns (because they WILL come), then literally anything is possible. The more people tell you that your idea WILL NEVER EVER WORK, the more you should knuckle down harder, keep refining your approach and prove them ALL wrong.

Running at your fears, what goes inside your head, is your best tactic.

Your most intense sessions can be when you are concentrating on what’s troubling you, and beating it through the iron you are lifting.

Every rep will mean you win, you will crush anxiety and you will come out of it the winner. Using this strategy regularly and and with intensity though will be a life-changer for you.

Exercise is therapy, exercise is church, exercise is your salvation.

Every time you focus so hard on your workouts, your personal bests are often beaten. Stare and concentrate on those weights in front of you, tell yourself you have the right to be happy and crushing that challenge right in front of you, will be your passport to happiness.

Gut-wrenching worries have to be faced at times in our lives, and I have found lifting heavier and with a deep vision a big release. I find the intensity of exercise lets you be victorious in your constant battle with challenges that often seem to be bigger than they actually are.

Next time something worries, come down and hit it hard with us. RUN AT IT, lift and beat it, lift and get stronger all the time, lift more and feel the stressful chemicals being released from your body.

We all have clashes every day that need to be won or lost. Control what you can and set yourself up for more joy than stress, more happiness and fulfilment rather than anxiety and worry.

You have the tools, you have the body, let’s crush it once and for all.

Humility is a strong virtue. Not to brag when you are doing well and having success is something we all admire in people.

It’s difficult for many people to do but is a sign you get on with the hard work no matter what and you don’t want awards for it. The process and indeed the journey is your reward.

Another huge quality I admire in people is those who never complain when life hits them hard, they keep getting up when they are knocked down and somehow find the positive side of the cards they have been dealt.