“Routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration you’ll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.” Ben Nicholas
I lost an old friend this week…my health club.
Seems we have a new director at my local Y and as with any new director comes a new direction. He has a vision and by gosh, he’s made it happen. And that’s OK, but I don’t have to like it.
When on this earth as long as I, we tend to create our routines and working out every morning is one of my favorites. Each morning, well before dawn, a dozen or so others and I literally open the gym up and have done so for going on a decade. (At least that’s how long I’ve been part of the group and I’m still considered the new guy.)
Which is why we had a shock to the system when walking this week to find all new equipment in the free weight area. Most of the old equipment we’d worked out on for years was replaced by shiny new stuff and some simply gone for good. And to top it off, all were laid out in a whole new footprint making it a morning of discovery.
Now, I’m all for change when needed and write about it often but there’s also something comforting about a routine. About knowing what you’re walking into and functioning without much forethought. And now that’s gone.
To be sure, this attitude makes me ‘Old School’ but that’s the way I like my gym to be. I want free weights and a few machines to supplement…that’s it. No need for computerization or USB ports to track my progress. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just functional. I’ll leave the hi-tech gyms to the spandex/mirror loving crowd.
So does this mean I’m changing gyms? Don’t know as today was my first day in this brave new world and I‘ll give it a couple of weeks to see how it fits. But they certainly opened the door by turning my routine upside down.
I pass two gyms on my way to this one and have never given them a second thought until now. In the next few days I’ll probably check them out and see how they feel because, like it or not, I’m now a man in search of a new routine.
OK, you’re probably wondering what this all mean in terms of business beyond the fact that Dwain’s pissed about someone ‘moving his flipping cheese’. So within this context think about your customers and how long you’ve had them.
To be sure they come to you because your product or service fits their needs but over time it’s also because they’re comfortable. You give them one less thing they have to think about and more importantly, one more thing they can count on which in this time of nanosecond obsolescence is HUGE.
Therefore, when you decide to change, do so carefully and slowly. Make sure you leave some semblance of the old to offset the shock until a transition to a new routine can be made.
Remember, ‘routine’ is derived from the word ‘route’. Which now looks like I’m open to changing…dammit.
Dwain – The Biker Guy
As always – These are my thoughts and I look forward to yours. And if you like what you read here, email me directly at dmd@DwainDeVille.com or check out my other websites www.RetreatOnWheels.com or www.ThreeDNavigator.com. I look forward to hearing from you.