Luke Johnson

Time management for Personal Trainers

As a Personal Trainer, you face a never-ending to-do list that can leave you feeling overwhelmed. With clients to train, leads to generate, marketing efforts, social media content creation, and personal needs to attend to, it's easy to feel lost and struggle to manage your time. Don't worry; we've got you covered with tips and strategies to help you overcome overwhelm and improve your productivity.

Understanding the Zeigarnik Effect and Time Management

The Zeigarnik Effect is a psychological phenomenon that states that people remember unfinished tasks more easily than completed ones.

This can lead to stress and anxiety, hindering productivity and effective time management. To overcome the Zeigarnik Effect, break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, and prioritise using techniques like time blocking, time boxing, or block scheduling.

Time Blocking, Time Boxing, and Block Scheduling

Maintain a detailed calendar and reschedule tasks as needed to improve productivity and reduce stress. Block off specific times in your calendar for client sessions, lead generation activities, social media content creation, marketing efforts, and self-care activities like exercise, rest, and socialising.

The Eisenhower Matrix for Personal Trainers

The Eisenhower Matrix, a popular time management tool, helps prioritise tasks based on their importance and urgency. Use this matrix to identify critical tasks that require immediate attention and those that can be scheduled for later, ultimately helping you manage your time more effectively and efficiently.

Action Points for Better Time Management as a Personal Trainer

  1. Learn more about time management for Personal Trainers by reading articles, watching videos, and reading books like "Deep Work" by Cal Newport.

  2. Use a calendar to manage your time for clients, lead generation, marketing, social media content creation, self-care, and continuing education.

  3. Set realistic goals, prioritise tasks, use colour-coding, block out distractions, and review your calendar regularly to make the most of your time and avoid feeling overwhelmed.


By implementing these strategies and tips, you can improve your productivity, reduce stress and anxiety, and ultimately lead a happier, healthier, and more successful life as a Personal Trainer.

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