“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Albert Einstein allegedly said that. And whilst historians debate whether he actually did, I like to imagine he said it whilst working a shift on a leisure centre reception desk in early January, watching yet another year of chaos unfold exactly like the last one.
If Einstein Worked in Your Gym
Picture it: Einstein, grey hair even more dishevelled than usual, sporting a branded polo shirt and a name badge, stood behind the reception desk on January 2nd.
The phone’s ringing off the hook. There’s a queue of keen January members clutching their gym bags. The treadmill in the corner is making that noise again. A new starter is frantically trying to remember the difference between your Peak and Off-Peak memberships while a determined customer fires questions at them.
Einstein adjusts his glasses, looks around, and mutters, “We did this exact thing last year. And the year before. And the year before that. Why are we surprised it’s happening again?”
He’s got a point, hasn’t he?
The Annual Experiment That Never Changes
Every year, the leisure industry runs the same experiment:
Hypothesis: “January will be busy.”
Method: Wing it. Hope for the best. React to problems as they emerge. Promise ourselves we’ll prepare better next year.
Results: Chaos. Stressed staff. Overwhelmed facilities. Lost opportunities. Members who don’t get the amazing first impression they deserve.
Conclusion: “Well, that was mental. Can’t believe January caught us off guard again.”
Then we repeat the exact same experiment twelve months later.
Einstein would be pulling his hair out. Actually, looking at his photos, maybe he already did.
Time for a New Theory
What if—and hear me out here—we tried something different this year?
What if we actually prepared for the one date we know is coming? What if we got each department ready before the rush hits? What if we trained our teams properly, sorted our equipment, planned our marketing, and gave ourselves the best possible chance of not just surviving January, but absolutely nailing it?
Revolutionary stuff, I know.
That’s exactly why Lesley Aitken and I have put together a proper Peak Season Preparation Checklist, and we’re running a webinar to walk you through it. Think of it as Einstein-level thinking applied to leisure centre operations.
What Would Einstein Do?
If Einstein were your operations manager (imagine those team meetings), he’d probably insist on:
Observation: Look at what actually happens every January. What breaks? Where do bottlenecks occur? What questions do members always ask?
Planning: Use that data to prepare systematically, department by department, with specific actions and timelines.
Testing: Train your team before they need to know it. Fix equipment before it fails. Create marketing before you’re desperate for it.
Measurement: Set success criteria so you know what good looks like and can track whether you’re actually ready.
It’s not complicated. It’s just organised. And in a world where most leisure centres are still winging January, organised looks like genius.
The Webinar: Breaking the Cycle – BOOK HERE
Our webinar takes you through the full Peak Season Preparation Checklist, covering:
- Department-by-department action plans for reception, gym, pool, sports halls, cleaning, marketing, and management
- Specific actions that give you the best chance of providing amazing service during your busiest weeks
- How to maximise membership sign-ups when it matters most (without your team combusting).
- Practical, low-budget approaches that focus on smart preparation rather than throwing money at problems
- How to adapt the plan whether you’re running a massive complex or a smaller facility
No fluff. No motivational waffle. Just practical guidance on how to prepare properly so January doesn’t flatten you.
A Different Result Requires a Different Approach
Einstein’s point (whether he actually said it or not) is simple: if you want different results, you need to do things differently.
You can’t keep approaching January the same way and expect it to magically go better. You can’t keep being surprised by the one event that happens at exactly the same time every single year.
So this year, let’s try something radical: let’s actually prepare for it.
The Theory of Peak Season Relativity
Here’s the thing Einstein would definitely appreciate: your experience of January is relative to how prepared you are.
Under-prepared facilities: Time moves slowly. Days feel endless. Problems multiply. Staff stress increases exponentially. E=mc² (Energy = Members x Chaos²).
Properly prepared facilities: Time flows smoothly. Teams feel confident. Members get brilliant service. Sign-ups soar. It’s still busy, but it’s controlled busy. Professional busy. The kind of busy that grows your business instead of nearly breaking it.
Same month. Same member influx. Completely different experience.
Don’t Let History Repeat Itself
January 2026 is coming. We can see it right there on the calendar, approaching with the inevitability of gravity pulling an apple to the ground (Einstein would appreciate that reference too).
You’ve got two choices:
- Do what you’ve always done and get what you’ve always got
- Join the webinar, get the checklist, and prepare properly this time
Einstein would know which one makes sense.
Join us for the webinar and break the cycle of January insanity. Let’s make this the year you prove that doing things differently actually does produce different results.
Because if we’re still acting surprised by January in 2026, well, that really would be insane.
Register for the webinar here and get your hands on the full Peak Season Preparation Checklist. It’s time to stop repeating the same experiment and expecting different results.
E=mc² might be complicated, but preparing for January doesn’t have to be.
See you there. Armed with science. And possibly a whiteboard, or maybe even OpsPal
