Motivation Monday: Take the Leap

Do you ever want to set a goal for yourself but it never seems like the right time? And then you finally realize that you just have to take the leap and do it because there’s never a perfect time.

That’s what Bailey Feit did when she decided to become a Jazzercise instructor. She’d been Jazzercising for more than a decade and friends told her she’d make a good instructor. But there was always something standing in the way.

“I always had an excuse, whether it was school, planning a wedding, paying for a wedding, coaching volleyball. But I loved Jazzercise. I would do the routines in the car when a familiar song came on the radio. I just needed to take that step and do what everyone around me was telling me to do,” Bailey said. 

 

After she made the decision to take the leap, the first step was the screening, where an instructor observed her taking a class to make sure Bailey could handle the basic moves and rhythm. After passing the screening, she received a training DVD with ten routines on it that she had to learn and prepare to teach, along with cues and low impact demonstrations.

It was a challenge to put in the practice time and work with her fellow instructor trainees, Luba and Amanda, and Christy Firestone, their coach and mentor. Bailey’s biggest worry was getting on stage for the final try-out and freezing, completely forgetting how to do a routine. But the day came and her fears didn’t come true. She passed with flying colors and took part in the all day workshop, learning more about the ins and outs of teaching Jazzercise.

The hardest part for Bailey was learning to master the art of talking while Jazzercising, thinking ahead about the next move so she can cue the students. The best part about being on that stage is looking at students who are singing along with the music or seeing a sheen of sweat on a smiling face.

“I love knowing that I am helping them accomplish what they came for, a good workout,” Bailey said.

Bailey recommends setting fitness goals because they push you to be the best version of you.

“You feel really good when you meet a goal,” she said. “There are always ups and downs and times when you want to give up. But when you have reached the top and look back at the choices you’ve made and at what you’ve accomplished, you are on a high!”

What’s holding YOU back?