This time of year is a perfect time to be thankful for all the good things in our lives and to reflect on lessons learned.
I always talk about the “journey” clients go on with you as a clinician in private practice. Clients come to healthcare professionals like us with problems and through counseling, they go through the ups and downs of improving their lives.
As counselors, WE also go on a “journey” with entrepreneurship in a similar way with plenty of ups and downs. I was recently having a session with a dietitian that I supervise about the idea of “growing as a person” because of her business. This idea felt so perfect for Thanksgiving!
This year I am especially thankful for the opportunity to grow both of my businesses, Eat With Knowledge and Pursuing Private Practice.
I continue to help so many clients recover from eating disorders AND also support dietitians with their professional goals, like starting and growing a business and improving their nutrition counseling skills.
This year was super exciting because I released the Feel Fabulous About Food course and also grew the Pursuing Private Practice program. I have learned so many lessons from this, both personal AND professional.
I’m feeling extra thankful for these 5 lessons and want to highlight them in honor of Thanksgiving!
- I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow, and to keep learning new things all the time. Whether it’s a new concept for clients, updated research, OR a new technology tool, I love to challenge myself to keep improving my nutrition knowledge, counseling skills, and productivity at work. This helps me grow as a person and evolve into the type of professional I want to be.
- I am thankful for skills in flexibility. Running a business NEVER goes as expected!! The ability to change plans when needed is key when you’re an entrepreneur. This lesson has definitely carried over into my personal life as a parent- another area where things never go as expected and flexibility is needed!
- I handle disappointments with grace. This one SUCKS doesn’t it? We all have things we are disappointed with and as a business owner, you could have a critical eye on yourself at all times.
But with disappointment comes learning and the opportunity to say you might not have done something right the first time. It’s also important to learn that not everything will go your way (just like in life!). Life and business aren’t always “fair” but you keep going anyway.
- I look at the big picture. This one may be a personal preference but by having a business in my life I am able to see the “big ticket items” and not sweat the small details that can drive someone crazy.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the fear of doing everything “perfect” and that’s just not possible when you have to look at the big picture. I love how this one carries over into my personal life as well. So what if my house is a mess? That’s a little detail compared to taking care of my family.
- I have a vision of where I want my business to go. This idea also allows me to reflect on my life and what I want to do in this lifetime. Just like I have “bucket list” items for my private practice and online business, I have “bucket list” items in my life as well.
