Being a personal trainer these days, there’s an expectation to be constantly posting on social media. Making content all the time. I gave it a go, but I never felt quite connected to the process, and honestly, it ended up draining me.
So, I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from social media, mainly Instagram and Facebook, just to release some of that pressure.
While I might eventually dip my toes back into the world of social media, I decided to take my journalling and personal reflections online too. I’ll likely be talking to myself here, but while I use this platform as an outlet to untangle my thoughts, it also gives you a little insight into my business, my life and my journey… if you care to read!
Now, onto the juice.
Over the past two years of fully transitioning into being a full-time personal trainer, I’ve grown A LOT.
I’m not trying to toot my own horn. I’m just taking the time to really acknowledge the progress I’ve made, think about how I can continue to better help my clients, celebrate the little things, and simply be proud of who I am and what I’ve built.
I also haven’t really shared much of this on my social pages, so now’s the time!
In April 2025, I moved from Christchurch, New Zealand, to the Sunshine Coast, Australia, and had to start my business from scratch.
0 clients. 0 family. 0 friends.
It was daunting… no, it was SCARY.
I was nervous and second-guessing myself a lot of the time, but I pushed through the fear and got shit done.
And, just to be super transparent, there was A LOT of financial stress that came with starting from nothing. That added another layer of pressure. I needed more clients, and I needed to make it work.
A few months later, I decided to give group instructing a go.
I’d always been interested in it, but initially decided to start with 1:1 personal training. I ended up falling in love with group fitness almost instantly.
I love the energy you can create in a group setting, and the people you get to connect with.
From a business perspective, it allowed me to get in front of more people on the Sunshine Coast at once. And considering I knew absolutely no one here, getting myself out there and meeting people was SO important.
From a life perspective, I even made friends through my job. How amazingggg.
Around the same time, I dove into the world of Reformer Pilates training.
It was a new challenge and a form of movement that I was excited to explore.
Although, honestly… I didn’t really believe in it at first. I thought it was a fad. LOL.
I finished the training as a qualified instructor, and over the past year I’ve ended up working for three different studios.
They’ve all had very different styles when it comes to programming and methodology, but I embraced the variety and treated each experience as a challenge and an opportunity to learn.
Then, over the last two months, I started really committing to Pilates in my own training. And now?
I’m a 100% Pilates advocate.
Especially alongside weight training. More on this next time.
I’ve also dipped my toes into the world of online personal training, but after focusing on other aspects of my business, I’ve kind of let it slide. Oops.
My goal for the rest of 2026 and into 2027 is to really push the growth of my online business. Not because I think it’s easy. In fact, I actually find it to be the most challenging medium of coaching.
I’ve managed to fill my weekly schedule pretty well, which means the most effective way for me to continue helping more people is through online coaching.
It’s going to be a new challenge for me, but I’m looking forward to it.
Reading through this list again, I can proudly say that I feel accomplished. And I think that’s something I haven’t allowed myself to acknowledge enough. Because throughout this journey over the last year or two, there has been A LOT of emotion.
So much stress. A lot of tears. A lot of uncertainty. A lot of questioning whether I was doing the right thing.
But what ultimately led me to where I am today was being willing to open myself up to opportunities, consistently putting myself out there, and most importantly… never giving up.
That allowed me to put one foot in front of the other, every single day.
During those really scary periods, it was so hard to see the wins. The success. The light at the end of the tunnel.
But looking back now, I can see how every little step mattered.
And I think that lesson – continuing to follow through on the small, seemingly insignificant habits for the bigger, long-term wins can be applied to pretty much any goal.
For my clients whose goal is “success” with fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, or simply looking and feeling better, here’s my advice based on what I’ve experienced over the last two years:
All those small efforts that seem like nothing… the ones you think aren’t making a difference. MEAN SOMETHING.
The workout you almost skipped. The meal you chose because it aligned with your goal. The walk you took. The extra bit of protein you added. The times you showed up even when you didn’t feel motivated.
They all count.
Nothing good comes without hard times, doubts and struggle. No win is instant. You don’t wake up one day and suddenly have the body, business, strength, confidence or life you’ve been working towards.
It’s built slowly.
One decision at a time.
My goal as a coach is to help you get to those wins and, just as importantly, keep you steady throughout the journey until you get there.
Because sometimes, you’re so deep in the process that you can’t see how far you’ve actually come.
Sometimes, you just need someone beside you to remind you.
And that’s what I’m here for,
Nadiah