Running a business is a bumpy ride. If you’re like most of us, you make frustrating mistakes that leave you wondering if you’re really cut out for this journey.
You may wonder if some of these mistakes might be a bit less devastating if you could just “figure it out” and be, well, perfect. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, at least not the perfection piece. You’ll continue to stumble along this journey, but you’ll also learn how to soar!
It’s really quite beautiful, and you don’t need to do it alone.
Understanding the common cause of our struggles can dramatically ease the burden they cause, and even bring peace to your entrepreneurial journey.
The good news is that the root of these mistakes is quite simple: Trying to do it all.
#1 Trying to serve all types of clients
So often when we start out in private practice (and even ten years later…cough cough…) we try to serve anyone who will listen. In other words, as a clinician and a marketer, we try to do it all.
The truth is, you have been given specific gifts as a therapist, and those gifts are most resonant with certain types of clients. While it’s true that you can do good for just about anyone, there are certain people with whom you will make a lifelong impact. There are certain lives you will change forever because of your work.
If you were to sit back and consider who those people are…the people who need YOU…who would it be?
Odds are it’s not a conglomerate of all people: those who have needs in mental health and special needs and hospice and early childhood and neurologic disorders.
The overwhelm comes when you try to serve all of them. Not only does this mean that your clinical brain is stretched thin, but your marketing efforts are spread so far and wide that very few people are latching on to your message. You may feel like you’re working SO hard but getting nowhere.
What you really need to do is decide. Ask who is waiting for YOU, and move forward with focus and intentional effort to find them. It will make all the difference.
#2 Trying to find all of the answers on your own
Once you decide to run a business, you step into an endless list of “roles”. You need the skills of an accountant, a clinician, a marketer, a mediator, a public speaker, a lawyer, a social media expert, and a web designer. Is it really reasonable (or even possible?) to fulfill all of those roles?? I declare…NO!
And yet we try to find all of the answers so we can fill the roles anyway.
I understand this one 100% because it was (and often still is!) me. There are so many great sources of information out there in blogs, books, podcasts, and social media, and you can basically find anything you need if you just look hard enough.
The problem is, it takes a ton of time and a ton of energy to find all of the answers on your own. Yes, you’ll learn a lot along the way, but you’ll also use precious mental resources that could be redirected toward your God-given strengths.
You can ask for help. You can hire someone who knows what they’re doing. You can invest in your success. And you can learn to rest in the process, if you’re willing to have someone show you the way.
#3 Feeling like you always need to be “on” (aka no rest!)
The list of to do’s will never end for a business owner. Even if you do get to the bottom of your checklist, another one will bubble up with new ideas brewing inside of you, resulting in an endless list of tasks, ideas, and noble pursuits.
So the truth is, if the list never ends, we need to be okay walking away from “undone” tasks!
Because this work as a therapist is so meaningful, it’s easy to keep going even when it’s time to take a break. It’s easy to think that because it’s important work, it needs to happen now. You might feel like because you’re doing good things, you should just keep doing more of them. Believe me, this is me 100%
What I have found, however, is that my battery eventually runs out. Sometimes it takes months before it does, while other times it’s only a week or a few days before I’m drained again. But bottom line: if you are always “on”, the time will come that your body forces you to be “off”.
Choosing to rest will put you in the driver’s seat of your life. When rest is an intentional part of your journey, you will spend more time with my family, reconnect with friends, and even pick up neglected hobbies that feed your soul.
When you rest, you’ll rediscover the joyful life you’re already living!
If you’re struggling with any of these challenges, know that there is another way. You don’t need to do it all. You can rest. You can find people to help you. You can find that client who is waiting for YOU to make an impact on their life.
I can’t wait to see the impact you make!
–Jaycie
P.S. If you’re and ready for a change, don’t wait any longer. Schedule a 1:1 strategy call today.