Welcome to a special deep dive inspired by our latest ‘Profit Made Simple’ podcast featuring the incomparable Craig Ballantyne.

If you’re a gym owner, personal trainer, or bootcamp leader striving to grow your fitness business, you’ve likely been told that discipline is the key to success.

But what if too much discipline is hurting you?

Craig Ballantyne is a business coach, best-selling author, and productivity expert. Known for The Perfect Week Formula, he returns with a powerful follow-up, The Dark Side of Discipline.

Craig’s insights have shaped countless entrepreneurs, including myself, and this new book reveals a surprising truth: discipline can be both your greatest ally and your worst enemy.

After a six-year gap since his last book, Craig returned to writing because he observed a troubling trend: fitness professionals overcommitting to habits that once served them but now control them. From excessive workouts to rigid schedules, the pursuit of being ‘disciplined’ was beginning to destroy dreams and even relationships.

Craig discusses how fitness business owners often do all the ‘right’ things—working out, reading, waking up early—but fail to move the needle in business. The culprit? Good habits replacing great ones. It’s not that you’re lazy. You’re simply focused on the wrong priorities.

In his book, Craig recounts his own journey of maintaining a 1,000-day workout streak—even doing pushups on a bathroom floor in an airport lounge. It sounds impressive, but it came at the cost of social connections and personal freedom. This isn’t discipline—it’s bondage.

From Instagram marathons to cold plunges, fitness professionals are caught in a race to be the most disciplined. Craig calls this “peacocking”—a quest for social validation masked as self-improvement. The danger? You’re building a lifestyle to impress others, not to serve your goals.

Craig introduces a powerful filter: is this activity serving me, or am I serving the activity? Whether it’s CrossFit, meal prepping, or your morning routine—if it’s not helping you move closer to your dreams, it’s time to reassess.

This critical thinking exercise can save you from wasting time on trends. Ask: Is this habit necessary for success? Is it sufficient on its own? If the answer is ‘no’ to both, it’s likely just noise.

Elaborate morning routines are all the rage—but are they effective? Craig argues that too many fitness professionals spend their mornings meditating, journaling, and cold plunging, instead of tackling the high-leverage tasks that grow their businesses.

The antidote to toxic discipline? Systems. Craig shares his “reverse alarm” concept—an alarm that signals wind-down time one hour before bed. This simple trick improves sleep, productivity, and reduces late-night scrolling, all without the need for willpower.

End-of-day reflection is a game changer. Craig recommends replaying your day like a movie to identify what went well and what didn’t. Did you act with intention? Or were you on autopilot? This awareness helps you correct course faster and more effectively.

One of the biggest misconceptions Craig busts is that discipline in one area automatically translates into others. Take Tiger Woods: immensely disciplined in golf, yet completely undisciplined in his personal life. Fitness pros must realise that mastering one domain doesn’t mean mastery across the board.

Craig’s signature concept is simple: put level 10 effort into your level 10 problem. If your biggest issue is low client retention or weak lead generation, spending hours perfecting your workout routine is a misallocation of effort.

This six-level pyramid starts with Motivation and rises to Standards. The key to long-term success lies in the foundation: standards, identity, and systems. Discipline and challenges are fleeting. Systems and identity changes are forever.

Craig recalls seeing fitness professionals who were ripped but broke. They avoided marketing and sales because it felt hard. Instead, they doubled down on workouts—something they were already good at. Result? Better abs, not better business.

Using Stoic philosophy, Craig urges fitness entrepreneurs to use “outside eyes” to view themselves objectively. Are your daily actions aligned with your long-term goals? If not, it’s time to realign.

Discipline should serve you, not enslave you. Focus on the actions that move your business forward. Eliminate habits that masquerade as productive. Set up systems. Reflect daily. Raise your standards.

Fitness business owners are no strangers to discipline, but it’s time to be more discerning. With insights from Craig Ballantyne, you can stop chasing validation and start building a life and business that truly serves your vision. Simplify. Systemise. Succeed.