four excuses I hear every day from massage therapists. These common excuses are merely stumbling blocks. They can be easily cleared up with confidence building and practice. That entry motivated Fran, a long-time reader, to make a great observation. She brought up the Alone Factor. Fran made the point that “being alone in this business I think somehow plays into becoming weak-willed.” While “weak-willed” isn’t a phrase I would apply to Fran, I totally get what she’s saying. “By St Loy!” I thought to myself, “I need to address the Alone Factor.”
We did an entry a while ago about And I do.
But as I sat down to write about conquering the Alone Factor, I realized I have absolutely no relevant personal experiences to offer you. (Though I have tons of irrelevant ones …)
This is what I do know:
- There is strength in numbers. Meeting with and exchanging ideas with other practitioners will make everyone more confident in their Work.
- Hanging out with other practitioners is good for you and your practice. You walk away feeling more supported and more … real, I guess. You feel like you do exist.
- You know more about what is really going on. Maybe it isn’t just you, maybe there is a huge spike of people expecting bigger discounts and/or free services. How are other practitioners dealing with these requests? How does it make them feel? You, too? Oh, good; it’s not just me.
- You just never know what opportunities could come out of it. Maybe you could bolster your income by working at another’s place one day a week. Maybe you discuss one of your successes with [post-ACL surgery recovery] clients and other practitioners start suggesting you to their ACL clients. Stuff like that.
So you tell me — tell all of us — what you do to conquer the Alone Factor. Are there any online forums that support you? Do the local AMTA meetings help you? Do five of you gather at a local coffee shop every other Wednesday? Daily mantras? Or are you wallowing in a sea of aloneness? What do you feel you need to feel supported? Please share. There are readers who need some inspiration out here.