I learned a long time ago that mindset plays a huge role in achieving fitness results. I've been teaching this stuff for years. But lately, I've been experiencing something fascinating (or maybe annoying haha): the same principles I teach my fitness clients have become the foundation for growing my business.
It's one thing to know these principles intellectually. It's another thing to actively apply them. I teach these concepts to my clients, yet when I started expanding my business, I found myself needing to use these lessons in this new arena, and reminding myself of them almost daily!
And it is making me a better coach, because in fitness, it feels easy for me (it wasn't always this way), but feeling the real resistance and the sabotaging thoughts, helps me better understand and empathize with my fitness clients who are going through it.
This experience has reinforced something I've always believed: these mindsets aren't just fitness principles or business strategies. They're life principles that create success wherever you apply them. For me, fitness came first and business second. For you, it might be the opposite. You may have mastered these concepts in managing your career or raising your family, but you're struggling to apply them to your health. The beauty is that the principles work regardless of where you start.
Celebrating Small Wins
In fitness, I constantly remind clients that those small wins matter. That showing up for a 15-minute walk counts. That choosing a salad over fries is a victory worth acknowledging. These small wins build momentum and confidence that eventually lead to major transformations.
When I started developing my workplace wellness programs, I had to apply this same mindset to my business growth. Instead of fixating on landing a massive corporate contract right away, I had to remember to celebrate each meaningful conversation with a potential client and every connection made on LinkedIn. Sometimes I forgot to recognize the value in each presentation I gave, even if it didn't immediately result in business.
These small business wins are just as important as my clients' fitness victories because they served the same purpose: building the confidence and momentum needed for bigger achievements. Each small step forward in business, like in fitness, created proof that progress was possible. Celebrating wins will always get you farther than beating yourself up because you are not far enough long yet.
The mistake I see people make (and that I was making in my business) is dismissing these small victories as insignificant. They want the big transformation immediately, so they overlook the daily actions that create lasting change. Whether you're building muscle or building a business, celebrating small wins keeps you motivated during the plateaus and setbacks.
Getting Away from All-or-Nothing Thinking
This mindset shift might be the most crucial one I teach. In fitness, all-or-nothing thinking sounds like "I ate one cookie, so I might as well eat the whole box" or "I missed my workout yesterday, so this whole week is ruined, I’ll start over next week." This thinking pattern destroys more fitness journeys than any other factor.
In business, I caught myself falling into the same trap. When a potential client said no, I started questioning everything about my approach. When a presentation didn't go perfectly, I wanted to scrap my entire business strategy. This perfectionist mindset was just as destructive in business as it is in fitness.
The solution in both areas is the same: progress over perfection. In fitness, one missed workout doesn't erase weeks of consistency. One less-than-perfect meal doesn't derail your entire nutrition plan. In business, one rejection doesn't mean your service isn't valuable.
Building a business, like building fitness, is about the overall trajectory, not individual moments. Some days will be better than others in both areas. The key is to keep showing up and making adjustments without throwing away all your previous progress.
Being Consistent
Consistency is the secret ingredient that makes everything else work. In fitness, lifting weights intensely and then skipping for two weeks won't get your sustainable results. Working out moderately two to five times a week will transform your body. The same principle applies to business development.
I learned that sending one follow-up email after meeting someone at a networking event isn't enough. But consistently nurturing relationships over time builds the trust and recognition that leads to referrals and partnerships. Just like my clients need to show up regularly to see physical changes, I needed to show up regularly in my business activities (regardless of visible outcome) to see growth.
It might mean creating systems and schedules that support consistency in both areas. Just as I help clients plan their workouts for the week, I started planning my business development activities. Consistency is about creating sustainable habits that you can maintain regardless of how you feel on any given day.
Controlling the Controllable
In fitness, you can (mostly) control your workout routine, your nutrition choices, and what time you go to bed. You can't control your starting point, how quickly your body responds, or what the scale says. Focusing on what you can't control leads to frustration and giving up.
The same principle became important as I expanded into workplace wellness. I could control how much time I put in, my follow-up process, and how well I prepared for meetings. I couldn't control whether a company had a budget approved for wellness programs or whether they were dealing with internal changes that put new initiatives on hold.
Learning to focus my energy on the controllable factors in business felt just like teaching clients to focus on their daily choices rather than obsessing over the scale. When you focus on what you can influence, you feel empowered rather than helpless. This mindset shift is what separates people who achieve their goals from those who get stuck in frustration.
Doing Your Best with What You Have
Not everyone starts their fitness journey with a home gym, unlimited time, or zero pain. I teach clients to work with what they have while building toward their ideal situation. The person who has 15 minutes and does bodyweight exercises daily will make more progress than someone who says they don't have time and doesn't do anything.
Starting my workplace wellness expansion required the same mindset. I didn't have a massive marketing budget, but I have my experience, my passion for helping people, and my willingness to learn and act. Instead of waiting until I had everything perfectly in place, I started with what I had and improved along the way.
This principle eliminates the excuse-making that keeps people stuck. There will never be a perfect time to start, and you'll never have all the resources you need. Success comes from using what you have while working towards something better.
Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Growth happens outside your comfort zone. The muscle-building process requires progressive overload, literally getting comfortable with lifting heavier weights that feel challenging. Similarly, business growth requires taking on challenges that initially might feel overwhelming.
In the beginning, speaking to corporate executives about wellness programs felt as uncomfortable as my first heavy deadlift session years ago. But just like physical strength builds through progressive challenge, business confidence builds the same way. Each uncomfortable conversation became easier. Each presentation improved my skills for the next one.
I now tell both my fitness clients and my business contacts the same thing: discomfort is temporary, but the growth it creates lasts forever. Whether you're pushing through the last few reps of an exercise or pushing through the nervousness of a sales call, the willingness to be uncomfortable is what separates achievers from dreamers.
HOW CAN YOU APPLY THESE IN YOUR LIFE?
These principles work because they get to the core of behavior change and goal achievement. They're not specific to fitness or business, they also apply to parenting, relationships, learning new skills, or any area where you want to create positive change.
I learned from my experience that knowing these principles isn't enough. I knew them intellectually and taught them daily, but I still had to work to apply them in a new area of my life. Knowledge without application is just information.
Whether you're looking to improve your fitness, grow your business, or make changes in any other area of life, these mindsets will serve you well. The specific tactics might differ, but the underlying principles remain constant. Start where you are, use what you have, celebrate progress, stay consistent, and embrace the discomfort of growth. These aren't just fitness principles or business strategies. They're life principles that create success wherever you choose to apply them.
Questions? I’d love 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 in-person and virtual training / coaching for individuals worldwide. Her blog shares expert guidance on strength training, running, and sustainable nutrition @fortworth_trainer
I’ve seen firsthand how fitness mindsets don’t just transform bodies, they transform careers and businesses too. The same principles I’ve taught clients for years, celebrating small wins, staying consistent, avoiding all-or-nothing thinking, and focusing on what you can control, turned out to be the exact tools I needed when I started expanding my workplace wellness business. Applying them outside of fitness gave me new empathy for my clients, because I was suddenly the one battling resistance and self-doubt. What I learned is that these principles go beyond workouts or business strategies. They’re universal tools for behavior change and goal achievement, no matter what area of life you want to grow in.