Never Forget!

Working in my gym is a work experience I will never forget. Every single day, I worked closely with clients and my supervisor who introduced me into their world; their goals and their ambitions. I learned so much about my clients and was able to work with them closely to aid them with improving their lifestyles. And my supervisor, to say the least, helped me come out of my shell and taught me experiences I will take away with me forever. Everyone who was a part of my experience inspired me in many different ways not only with their motivation but with their commitment to achieve their goals which could affect them positively for life. By being inspired by my clients, it has given me the motivation to improve myself and my wellbeing in my degree, workplace and in the gym. A study by Thrash, T. M., et al. (2010) stated that inspiration initiates intrinsically valued qualities, suggested by an external stimulus e.g. people which encourages inspiration and then motivates individuals to extend these qualities into relevant situations. Like any job, you come across positives and negatives, but my supervisor taught me how to overcome any negatives which may occur with a happy mindset. 

With days where clients are feeling down and demotivated, being happy and upbeat was the best way to drive them to keep pushing themselves. I started off so nervous and with very low confidence and trust in myself, but my supervisor brought the best out in me and supported everything I did which allowed me to gain the confidence and use this work experience to its full potential. A study suggests that work experience allows students to reflect on and practice what they have learnt from formal study and develop employability skills in a real workplace (Helyer, R., & Lee, D. 2014). Furthermore, not only has this work experience developed my skills, it has also allowed me to understand myself and given me a chance to improve my weaknesses which will help in my future career choices.

From using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle in this blog, it has allowed me to follow a model allowing me to fully reflect on my time on my placement. I struggled to use the “action plan” stage in the model as it did not suit what my experiences taught me; the other stages allowed me to develop my reflective skills and explore my feelings and experiences that I came across throughout my time. 

So, I therefore thank exercise, the gym, trainees and my supervisor for inspiring me, improving my knowledge and making this whole experience a lifelong memory.