7 Steps to Plan Your Best Year Ever: A Framework for Fitness Business Owners

Have you ever entered a new year feeling overwhelmed, unsure of where to start, or struggling to make consistent progress?

As 2025 approaches, imagine how different your year could be with a clear, actionable plan to grow your fitness business.

In this article, we’ll explore the 7-step planning framework shared by Dan Henderson in the latest Profit Made Simple podcast episode.

This framework has helped fitness entrepreneurs scale their businesses, reduce stress, and thrive—even in highly competitive markets.

Whether you’re a gym owner, personal trainer, or fitness entrepreneur, these steps will help you align your goals with your values, create clarity, and build unstoppable momentum for the year ahead.

Before you set goals for 2025, take time to reflect on the past year. Reviewing what worked and what didn’t provides critical insights for future growth.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• What was your biggest bottleneck? Was it sales, marketing, leadership, or team management?
• What do you need to stop doing to grow?
• Where did you miss the mark on meeting client expectations?

Use these reflections to identify your biggest opportunities for improvement and set the stage for success in 2025.

Time is your most valuable resource. Use Craig Ballantyne’s “10 More Hours” framework to eliminate tasks that drain your energy and steal your focus.

Four Quadrants to Assess:

• What do you hate doing? Delegate tasks like admin, bookkeeping, or cleaning that frustrate or exhaust you.
• What should you stop doing? Identify tasks you’re good at but not essential for you to handle personally.
• What is not your job? Stop micromanaging and empower your team to own their roles.
• What are your distractions? Limit time on social media or other habits that waste energy.

Action Step: Tally the hours saved by removing these tasks and reinvest them in your business, health, or relationships.

Clarity is the foundation of progress. Use this simple framework to define your goals for 2025:

Key Components:

• Projected Revenue: Set your annual revenue target.
• Profit Goals: Aim for a profit margin of 15-35% to ensure sustainable growth.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Choose 3–7 metrics to track, such as active members, retention rates, or lifetime client value.
• Major Projects: Identify 3–7 major initiatives, like launching new services, expanding your team, or upgrading your facilities.

Break these goals into quarterly milestones for focused execution.

Big rocks are the non-negotiable priorities that drive your business and personal freedom.

Two Types of Big Rocks:

Money Makers: These are revenue-generating activities, such as client challenges, Black Friday promotions, or transformation programs. Identify and schedule these activities early.

Freedom Finders: Plan weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activities that enrich your life. This could include family vacations, recovery days, or regular date nights.

Schedule these big rocks first to ensure they take priority over less important tasks.

Pebbles are the essential deliverables that create a world-class experience for your clients.

Examples of Pebbles:

• Client assessment days
• Fitness challenges like Hyrox or Tough Mudder
• Workshops and seminars
• Social events to build community

Once your big rocks are in place, schedule these pebbles around them to create a balanced plan.

Sand represents smaller but meaningful activities that add depth to your life and business.

Categories of Sand:

• Learning: Commit to seminars, workshops, or online courses to improve your skills.
• Planning Days: Schedule quarterly planning sessions with your team.
• Family Events: Prioritise important dates like holidays and birthdays.
• Hobbies: Make time for activities that recharge you, such as sports or creative pursuits.

Ensure these activities are in your calendar to maintain balance and avoid burnout.