MorrFit Health and Performance

Have I changed….?

Okay, it’s been a minute since I’ve put some thoughts down like this….. so bear with me.

I’m going to cut a long story into a short snippet to bring you up to speed.

I’m Nathan Morris. Being a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor is all I’ve ever really known. Since the age of 18, I jumped straight into the fitness industry, and honestly, I’ve been living and breathing some form of it ever since. And now I’m 34!!! wow. Where does the time go?

Rewind to COVID.

My gym shut down, and my business went completely online. Naturally, with everything going on during COVID, we took a financial hit, so I did what most dads would do at the time with two kids… I picked up some labouring work to fill the gaps.

What was meant to be a six-month part-time role turned into its own little journey. I learned to push my body in a totally different way. Instead of running more or lifting heavier, I had to move in ways I never thought imaginable. All just to earn a dollar and support my young family. For the first time ever, I had calluses on my hands (yes, I had baby hands before this).

I tell you what….. the biggest learning curve of all was…

learning to learn again.

I went from being at the top of my game in the fitness industry to watching it all crumble thanks to the pandemic. Learning to learn again was the hardest part of all, being the new guy, the one who had no idea what he was doing, and the guy who had to swallow his pride. All of my previous accolades meant nothing on a job site. The person I was didn’t matter,the things I’d achieved didn’t matter, I was at the bottom, staring up at this huge mountain in front of me.

Okay, fast forward over four years…. I’ve come to love this style of work, and I got carried away (as I usually do) and started climbing the ladder. I went from driving for a labour company to driving a small truck, then a semi, and now I even have a licence to drive road trains! Like, WOW lol.

From your local PT to a B-double driver. I know, right? Weird! But it was bloody awesome to learn to learn again. To be the newbie. To not understand even the most basic tasks (well, they didn’t seem basic at the time lol). I’d even go home, put hand lotion on, and wear gloves to bed just to ease the pain while my callouses built up. Hahaha. Yep, what a sook!

Now, when I look back at some of the personal training sessions I ran, I can see just how new some of my clients were to the whole “fitness” thing. How they had no clue how to squat….. and to me, it was “simple.” Like, how could you not know how to squat?

But I’d forgotten how hard it is to do something new. How uncomfortable it is to be in a space that feels completely foreign. I’ll be honest, I had almost zero appreciation for that back then. Looking back now, there are definitely a few clients I feel bad for…. not because I was intentionally rude or a “bad” trainer, but because I didn’t give them the patience, time and nurturing they really needed. My lack of appreciation for how hard learning something new can be… that was on me.

So, to answer the question… Have I changed?

I wouldn’t say I’ve changed, I’d say I’ve grown. I’ve become wiser with time, shaped by the experiences life has generously (and sometimes not so gently) handed me. I’ve learned to be more understanding, more patient, and far more appreciative of those who are just beginning their journey.

Don’t get me wrong, if you know me, you know I’m still direct. I’ll always call a spade a spade. But that honesty comes from a place of deep respect. Because let’s be real, would you ever really want a coach or personal trainer who doesn’t care enough to tell you the truth, even when it’s hard to hear?

We all learn, stumble, and grow as we go through life. Some of the lessons aren’t ones we asked for, but we always have the choice in how we respond to them. Growth isn’t about becoming someone else, it’s about becoming a better you.

I’ve got so many stories to share over the coming months from my time in the “real world”, and I’m really looking forward to telling them. Of course, each one comes back to how those lessons have helped me become a better coach for the everyday person.

Life is tough and being unhealthy just makes it even tougher.

Signing up to a gym or asking for help (especially when you know you need it) can feel even harder. But sometimes, it’s exactly what you need to start climbing your mountain.

If you’re working on weight loss goals and feeling nervous about getting started, send me a message. It’ll stay just between you and me, and we’ll take the first step together.

Let’s get you climbing.

Nath.