Working on A Dream

by Marty Ozaeta
Founder of Velocity Performance Training, Pacific Grove, CA

Bruce Springsteen released a new album in January, Working on a Dream. Just the other day, I listened to the title track and it got me thinking about a special time in my life exactly one year ago this month.

It was October 2008. I had just completed a Corrective Exercise Specialist course in Exercise Science, and had just turned down a full-time personal training and coaching job in Monterey, CA. Just for the record, I did it for love. I turned down the job in order to have more time with my girlfriend at the time. So, there I was in Monterey, wearing several hats at one time - adjunct instructor, in-home personal trainer, coach and full-time seeker of my professional future. I was "busy," but not fulfilled. As a matter of fact, for one of the first times in my life, I felt lost - in limbo. I wasn't tied to a strong purpose. I was driving all over town; taking whatever jobs I could to stay afloat, and searching for the next chapter of my life.

I knew my passions were fitness, massage/bodywork, pain management/rehabilitation, and sports performance. Plus, I knew I wanted to work with people of all ages, sizes and abilities. The truth was - I wasn't focused. I didn't know how to take my education, my talents, my experiences and my ideas and develop a vision for myself. Teach and coach? Open a fitness facility? Get into coaching football? Go back to school to get my Masters so I could teach at a university? Man, at one point, I even considered applying to the FBI to see if I should go into law enforcement.

After much contemplation and prayer, I started to listen to my heart, and finally was able to see that the key to my future was to open my own fitness studio that combined personal training and massage therapy - a place where I could transform lives through fitness and bodywork. There it was - a vision. My vision. My dream.

The first big question was - where? It was on October 10th, 2009, that my life changed. I was asked to do a health fair at a local Resort (The Spanish Bay Resort, in Pebble Beach), where I would be talking about health and fitness. Although only 20 minutes from my home, I thought Pebble Beach was "out in the country." That day, one of the ladies I talked with asked if I knew of a Personal Training studio in the area. I said, "Ma'am, I'm not even sure where I am right now, but I'm surprised there are no high quality studios nearby. It looks like a pretty nice area of town."

Bingo. That was all I needed to hear. I couldn't wait to leave the health fair and check out the neighborhood. By that point, I had looked at nearly a dozen different communities in Pacific Grove and Monterey, and I had a good sense of what I was looking for. Thirty minutes later, I stumbled upon a shopping center where I saw a "For Lease" sign in a s window behind the building by some professional offices of a building. The shopping center had a quaint, "country" look and I had a great feeling when I drove into the parking lot. I felt my heart begin to race and a smile fill my face. I hurried up the steps, and as soon as I looked in the windows, I saw my dream attach to a physical location: 220 Counrty Club Center, Suite #5. Immediately, I knew I was destined to create my studio there. I tried to drive away, but ended up stopping, parking again, and going back upstairs to stare into "my" new space. The vision was clear-and it felt GREAT!

That day, the seed of "Velocity Porformance Training" was firmly planted. I had no business plan, no money and no clients near the location, but I had such a sense of peace that I had found the space where I was going to open my "personal training, massage therapy, P and yoga studio to transform the body, mind, and spirit of my clients." The process had begun and I was fired up!

What I felt that day wouldn't have been any different if I had put the first shovel in the ground to build the building myself. There was a lot of work to be done, but I was fueled with passion to create something unique and special. I was fired up to get started and my newfound inspiration felt like I was back on track to fulfilling my life's mission and purpose.

To complete this part of my journey, Monday morning came, and I got a call back from the building owner. After a long conversation, I hung up the phone knowing that the negotiation had begun, and despite never having gone through the process before, I was ready to jump in with both feet! The game was on.

Fast forward one year and here I sit reflecting upon this time in my life that, in many ways, seems like just yesterday. I can't help but smile when I look back and remember my wide-eyed enthusiasm and how excited I was to get started. It brings back fond memories. Today, a time of great excitement and opportunity at Velocity Performance Training, is the perfect time to reflect on our humble beginning.

This article began with the story of my dream, but have you ever chased a dream? What do you love to do? What are your passions? True joy in life is found when you believe in something wholeheartedly and then aren't afraid to go after it 100%. One of the greatest lessons I have learned in my career is not to be afraid to take ACTION on what I NEED to do. There will always be doubts and fears, and there will always be reasons NOT to do something. But, you can't move forward without taking action. Don't allow perfectionism to paralyze you and rob you of momentum. When you take ACTION, professionally or personally, you move forward and gain momentum. The key to this is a simple 3-point plan:


--Discover your passion. Find your dream.
--Take ACTION. Move forward. You gain nothing standing still.
--Steer the course and stay the course. Be true to your inner-self and the values that drive you. Your professional and personal lives will be congruent, and ultimately you will find significance. This is the meaning of a purpose-driven life.

Sometimes, we don't know where we're going. It's OK. Keep on searching. Keep on moving. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "...happiness is not a goal, it's a byproduct." Find your dream and act on it. Good things will come. Next month, I plan to continue this story and tell you about building the infrastructure of my dream - the roadblocks, the adversity, the milestones and the celebrations. Even before the lease was signed, Velocity Performance Training was born, and I was one hundred percent all in. "See you" next month for part two.

Peace and love,

Marty Ozaeta
Owner, Velocity Performance Training
220 Country Club Center
Suite #5
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
831-869-5348
marty@velocity-pt.com
www.VelocityPerformanceTraining.com