I’ve been going to the same neighborhood gym since I moved to Vancouver from Chicago more than fifteen years ago. There’s a ritual I’ve been witnessing every year about this time and it’s right on schedule. It’s both wonderful and annoying.
All those holiday eggnogs and New Year’s eat-a-thons have been transformed into resolutions of working it all off. For the next few weeks, the wait for a treadmill will be just a little bit longer. I don’t mind. It’s nice to see all those sweaty hope-filled faces looking toward a healthier tomorrow.
The annoying part is that it won’t last long. Sometime around Valentine’s Day, the treadmill lines will be gone and the free-weight floor will be peacefully quiet again. It’s annoying because it means that a whole lot of people with the best of intentions gave up.
Luckily, a few will push past the difficulties and stick with it. Some will learn to warm-up and stretch to relieve the aches and pains of transformation. By the time the next season of tree-shaped cookies and deep-fried turkeys rolls around, some will have created a new foundation that can better withstand the onslaught.
There’s a lesson in there for my travel industry friends. Among the hundreds of travel agent email messages, tweets, posts and status updates, I see a lot of parallels.
I see a lot of hope-filled faces looking toward a healthier tomorrow in travel. I see some who are willing to push through the discomfort of transformation and strengthen themselves for whatever may come. I see others that will put down the weights and go back to their unhealthy but comfortable former ways before giving it their best shot.
It’s funny, but I hear the biggest complaints from those who are least willing to stay in shape for the ever-changing industry they’re in. I see the most success in those who never stop working out.
Travel, like the gym, can be a real pain. Sometimes it stinks, and it can be crowded with “the lucky ones.” Usually, luck has very little to do with it. Instead of thinking about last year’s fruitcake, they’re thinking about feeling good and being strong tomorrow.
It’s really a choice of sweatin’ with the oldies, or stretching for the future. See ya’ on the Stair Master!
Nolan Burris is an author, former travel agent, failed musician and self-professed techno-geek. He’s also a popular international speaker both inside and outside of the travel industry. He is the founder and chief Visioneer of Future Proof Travel Solutions (futureprooftravel.com) based in Vancouver, Canada. Nolan’s believes that if can change the way business works, you’ll change the world. His goal is to spread the message of integrity and ethics in a techno-driven world.
One thought on “Sweatin’ WITH the oldies?”
Nolan – great post! I like your comparison of New Year Resolution workouts to professionals trying to start something new and fizzling out. I know I’ve been guilty of it, too, most especially with my email newsletter! Your post is giving me some encouragement to do what I can to stay on top of things this year!