This July marks my 10th anniversary as a personal trainer. It's wild to think about. Time flies when your dream job feels like fun. Coaching has shaped my identity in ways I couldn't have imagined. It's fulfilling and meaningful work, and I couldn't picture doing anything else.
But this journey didn't start the day I got certified. I've been blogging since 2009. It began as a running blog and evolved over the years, as I did. Hundreds of posts later, some I'm proud of, others show me how much I've grown, it's all part of the process. The blog became a space where I explored my beliefs, shared what I was learning, and documented the messy middle of figuring things out.
Coaching and blogging developed side by side. Writing helped me clarify my thoughts. Coaching allowed me to experience it in real-time with real people, fine-tuning what works and what doesn't. Both gave me a front-row seat to how people grow and what creates lasting change.
That's what this post is about. Growth isn't loud. It happens in the background, a little at a time. One post. One client session. One decision to keep showing up. Eventually, you look back and realize you're no longer the same person.
The same goes for fitness. You don't have to see progress every day for it to be real. You just have to keep going.
Ten years of coaching have taught me many lessons, and I'm sharing ten of them in the hope that you find value in the lessons I've discovered over the years, something to support your growth and keep you moving forward.
1. MOST People aren't lazy, EVEN IF THEY THINK THEY ARE. They're stuck in all-or-nothing thinking.
Most people aren't unmotivated. They're overwhelmed. They think if they can't do it perfectly, it's not worth doing at all. That kind of mindset keeps people stuck. Trying to do everything "right" leads to burnout and quitting. The people who succeed are those who persevere when things aren't perfect. They miss a workout, eat the cookie, and get back on track. Progress lives in the middle ground. Real progress happens when you let go of extremes and start where you are.
2. Mindset matters more than macros.
People can follow the most detailed plan, but if their thoughts are stuck in doubt, guilt, or comparison, progress will feel like a constant uphill climb. The brain’s job is to keep them safe, not to keep them inspired. That means it's naturally wired to focus on what’s hard, what’s missing, and what could go wrong. But like any muscle, mindset can be trained to focus in a different direction.
Instead of fixating on what isn’t working, the most successful clients learn to notice what is. If they don’t have time for the gym, they look at what they can do: maybe a quick YouTube workout in the living room, a walk during a kid’s practice, or squats while dinner cooks.
If your environment doesn’t feel supportive, get curious about who does show up for you: Your coach. A group text that keeps you accountable. Friends on the same path.
Thoughts influence behavior. Behavior creates results. What you focus on grows, and the ones who grow the most are the ones who train their minds to focus on what’s possible.
3. Motivation comes after action.
Waiting to feel motivated is the fastest way to stay stuck. Feeling inspired is great, but it’s not reliable. What is reliable is the momentum you create by taking action. You move first, then motivation shows up. The clients who get the best results stay engaged, ask questions, and take full ownership of their health. That kind of commitment builds real momentum and lasting change. They’re not waiting. They’re doing.
4. REWARD THE EFFORT, NOT JUST THE OUTCOME.
If you’re only watching the scale or waiting for visible abs, motivation gets shaky fast. Progress can feel invisible sometimes. That’s why celebrating effort is so powerful. One of the best ways to stay engaged is to reward the action itself, not just the outcome. During a call, a woman shared that she set a goal to complete 100 workouts and promised herself a pair of sparkly leggings when she got there. She wrote the numbers 1 to 100 on a piece of paper and marked an X through each one as she went. No scale involved. No deadline. Just consistent action. When you start to value the process, not just the payoff, everything changes.
5. No one ever regrets getting stronger.
Strength changes people. Not just physically but mentally. The confidence that comes from feeling capable in your body extends to every other aspect of life. Strength teaches you what you're capable of and then dares you to go further. I never had a client who regretted getting stronger.
One of my clients text me after a girl’s trip: “I was the strong one in the group. I unloaded a lot of suitcases and ice chests and walked on uneven ground while carrying heavy stuff. I also had to open all the jars, thanks to you!”
Strength training doesn’t just stay in the gym. It shows up when you need it most.
6. Rest is not optional.
Rest isn't a sign you're slacking, lazy, or not doing enough. It's a critical part of the process. The culture of constantly pushing harder leads straight to burnout, injury, and frustration. Recovery is where the progress happens. It's the piece of the puzzle that allows you to get stronger and improve your fitness. Clients who embrace this are the most successful.
7. Tracking helps you learn, not judge.
Food logs, workouts, and habit tracking are tools to help you focus on what matters. The more awareness you build, the easier it becomes to make choices that align with your goals. Data shows patterns. Patterns lead to insight. Insight drives change. You don't have to track forever, but monitoring and learning your habits is a skill worth building. It helps you make informed choices instead of reactive ones.
8. Health is a skill.
You get healthier when you develop small, practical skills over time. Each step adds up, and consistency matters more than sheer willpower. Planning meals, tracking food, setting boundaries, managing stress, improving sleep, and staying consistent are learnable skills. Just like strength training, you improve with each additional repetition. The people who succeed aren't "naturally healthy." They've just practiced more.
9. Identity drives behavior.
You become what you believe. If you tell yourself you're not an athlete, not consistent, not someone who follows through, your brain will collect evidence to prove that true. But when you shift the story even a little, your actions shift too. The clients who start to behave as the person they want to become, get there faster.
10. There's no finish line.
Health is a daily choice. The small actions you repeat are what build long-term well-being. The scale or your clothing size might feel important, and they can be, but they’re only part of the picture. What truly matters is feeling strong, moving with confidence, and staying active in the things you love for years to come. Fitness doesn’t end. It evolves with you.
If you're in the middle of your journey and questioning your progress, you're not alone. It can be hard to see the big picture when you're in it. But showing up, staying engaged, and making intentional choices, that’s the work. And that work adds up. Even when the results feel slow or invisible, you’re building something real. One rep. One choice. One decision to keep going. That’s how strength is built, inside and out.
If any of these lessons hit home, keep them in your back pocket for the days it feels harder to keep going. And if you ever want support putting them into practice, I'm here to help.
Lea
Lea Genders is a board-certified health coach, personal trainer, and workplace wellness consultant based in Fort Worth, TX. She offers corporate wellness programs for employee health and productivity, as well as virtual training and coaching for individuals worldwide. Her blog shares expert guidance on strength training, running, and sustainable nutrition @fortworth_trainer
This July marks my 10-year anniversary as a personal trainer. Coaching and blogging have grown side by side since the beginning. Writing helped me figure out what I believed. Coaching helped me live it. Both gave me a front-row seat to how people grow and what creates lasting change.
In this post, I’m sharing 10 of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the past decade, lessons that go beyond workouts and meal plans, and into the real skills, mindset shifts, and habits that lead to long-term progress.