MEMBER STORY: 111 Days & Counting by Khal

I was coerced to do this by Ambi and the reception staff at the Hogarth. I made the mistake of mentioning that I had done 100 days of workouts at the gym since it reopened and the next thing I know is that I’ve been asked by Ambi to put something together for the newsletter!

The thing that worries me is that for you the reader this story might be boring; for me it’s been quite a shift in behaviour and attitude. Only today at day 111,  I was talking to one of the wonderful reception staff and she told me that my story had inspired her… and that was absolutely the encouragement I needed to write this.

So I hope the story is at the very least interesting for you to read. Hopefully it's a story that inspires you a little. I also recognise that there are a lot of other people who I see regularly in the gym so I'm sure there's many more stories that should ultimately be shared, not just mine.

111 days and counting!  

I have been a member for about 10 years now, and it’s only this last year that I’ve really started to make good use of the gym. Probably like many of us I’d make excuses in the past: travelling, business meetings, too tired after a long day, social commitments … but as we came out of the first lockdown I found I had no reason not to make more effort because many of those excuses had gone!

The big change for me was just after the new year when the outdoor pods opened, with the cardio equipment being bookable. I made the decision to approach my fitness somewhat differently - and I applied some of the coaching work I do to help me make me some lifestyle changes. I realised I’ve been using rules to drive my gym behaviour.  Based on what I know about myself I knew whatever approach I designed, there had to be a big sense of fun and relaxation designed into it. So I decided to coach myself in rethinking my mindset to going to the gym and keeping fit in general; and that fundamentally led me to create a principle to guide me -  and that principle is ‘no excuses’!

So how does no excuses work?

Sun, rain, cold, windy, hot - it doesn’t matter! Feeling tired, or hungover - it doesn’t matter.

Most days I’m dressed ready for the gym before my last conference call! And after a tough day, I just focus on getting through the first 15 mins of the workout!

I also needed to build new habits and rituals.

My friends at the Highroad Brasserie (Asta, Bence, and their wonderful team) always lookout for me as I walk past (usually around 6pm on weekdays)… knowing that I’m headed for a long workout. They provide great encouragement. They also check whether I need feeding and a recovery meal for after - and the answer is usually yes! They spoil me! The greeting when I arrive at the gym is always wonderful (Hannah, Julia, Paris and all the others), the reception staff are always so happy and welcoming which helps lift my mood and get me focussed! And then of course the PTs such as Katie and Yildiz who come and check my progress, and keep me motivated! And the many faces (members and staff) who now say hello and smile - btw, have you seen Conso smile and dance?? 

So at the time of writing it’s day 111 done, the last 37 of those have each been 2hrs on the cross trainer! And tomorrow I will focus on the next workout challenge!! I vary each workout, but overall I aim to improve my output week on week. A sense of continuous improvement. 

Things I love about the Hogarth 

There are so many things… the staff are awesome, the innovation Dan has introduced is fabulous, the mindset Vojin brings to the gym is brilliant! Most of all it’s the sense of community… we are the Hogarth, and it’s up to us to make it successful (no I haven’t been paid to promote it!!) After ten years I’m actually booking a PT session!! And it’s only for this reason that I chose to step out of my comfort zone and share this journey. 

A little about me!

I advise and coach senior executives across multiple industries on how to grow their business and benefit from technology innovation and disruption. That usually means challenging established norms and defensive mindsets. Whilst not a techie, I recognise how tech changes the landscape and how that enables new business capabilities and practices to emerge. But it’s all about people… and our willingness to be vulnerable and brave to get out of our comfort zones and do things differently.

I’d love to hear from you all if you got this far… Find me on linked in at https://www.linkedin.com/in/-khal/ or ask the Hogarth to connect with me. Most of all I look forward to hearing your stories and growing this community to be the best WE can be.

Love
Khal