The “Best of SAF” series features articles that were published as part of the original SeriousAboutFitness.com site that ran from 2002 to 2010. This article was first published in January 2008 and was written in order to give competitors three simple tips that will help them succeed in the industry. The reason I republished this now is because these three tips are as relevant today as they were when I wrote the article more than three years ago. . . . Doug Schneider, SAF Founder

Originally published on SeriousAboutFitness.com: January 1, 2008

Photo right: Beautiful Christy Wolfe, one of the first models we ever worked with, and whom we still work with today. She's been successful because she's proactive, consistent and reliable, three keys to getting ahead.

We’ve been publishing SeriousAboutFitness.com for over five years, and during that time, I’ve seen some people succeed quite admirably in the fitness industry, while many others have failed. However, I’ve noticed that whether someone succeeds or fails, you can always learn something from them. In fact, there are some simple things common to those who succeed which are often neglected by the people who don’t make it. So, if you want to do well in the fitness industry, here are three simple tips that will help you to get ahead:

1) Be proactive – Forget the notion that someone is going to discover you, or even help you. Frankly, that rarely happens and, besides, it puts your future at the mercy of someone else. The people who do succeed are the ones who take matters into their own hands and chart their own destiny. For example, the ones who have the best chance to get ahead here on SeriousAboutFitness take the initiative to communicate with me or one of my staff, either in person, on the phone, or by e-mail. And those who want to go one step further and guarantee that they get ahead enter one of our SAF competitions. The key is, these people are all self-starters and are taking the initiative to kick-start their careers. So, if you want to get ahead in the industry, start doing something about it and don’t rely on others to find you, or do the work for you.

2) Be consistent – I’ve seen far too many people who don’t stick with things for long enough. It seems that if they don’t see the results they want in a few weeks, or even days, they quit. To get ahead, you need to be consistent, and that doesn’t mean for days or even weeks. Sometimes it takes months or years to attain your goals. For example, here at SeriousAboutFitness.com, we’ve been publishing every month for more than five years – and we know it’s going to take even longer to get to where we want to be. Furthermore, if you look at the most successful people in the fitness industry, many of them have been consistently plugging away for years, even decades. Therefore, don’t count on getting ahead right away. Overnight sensations are rare. Instead, work diligently and consistently, and plan to stay at it for the long haul.

3) Be reliable – Quite often, the people who get ahead are the ones who are the most reliable. On the other hand, the ones who don’t succeed are usually those who don’t come through when you need them. For many, that will seem obvious; however, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people thwart their own success because at that one crucial moment when they could have succeeded, they dropped the ball by letting someone down. Know that if you want to get ahead, the publishers, editors, writers, sponsors, and photographers have to know that they can depend on you to be there for them – otherwise they’ll go and find someone else who will. Be the one people can count on.

By learning and applying these three tips, you can make great strides in the fitness industry. However, remember that each thing can’t be done in isolation. You have to do all three for the best chance of success. So, think of them like a team.

If your goal for 2008 is to get ahead in the fitness industry, whether it’s through modeling or competing or promoting yourself some other way, remember to be proactive, consistent and reliable. If you do those three things, you’ll likely be surprised at how much easier it is to get the things you want.

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SAF Founder and President

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