Private Practice Success Newsletter: Leverage Yourself
Private Practice Success | www.privatepracticesuccess.com
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Leverage Yourself
by Lynn Grodzki, LCSW, MCC
If you read the news lately, you have probably read the term “leverage.” Many banks leveraged their debt using borrowed money, and this resulted in adding to the financial crisis. But there is a broader meaning of this business term that can help you right now.
Leverage at its purest sense means using something that multiples the outcome of your efforts – as though you were using a lever to lift a heavy rock. Archimedes said "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” For those in a private practice, leverage implies that you are savvy enough to do a lot with a little.
Private practice can be hard, especially in a recession, and the burden of the practice falls squarely on the business owner’s shoulders. In my coaching sessions with clients, we spend a lot of time looking at what the business needs, such as: clients, organization, cash flow, staffing. But when I ask these same clients to tell me what they personally need, their answers are always the same. They say:
- I need more energy
- I need more time
In this newsletter, we will explore how to leverage both of these needs, to help you have more with less effort. Then next month, in the April newsletter, I will show you how to leverage some of the essential needs of your business. First, let me show you how to use leverage to have more energy.
Build More Energy
Even if you have a healthy lifestyle, as a small business owner you can feel depleted. A private practice is like a demanding toddler – one who always wants you attention and efforts.
When you feel exhausted by the needs of your practice, writer Julie Plenty (www.selfgrowth.com) offers an important key for shifting exhaustion: First, release resistance.
Resistance is the friction we feel when we fight ourselves, often fighting our inner judgments. You think: I should be able to finish the billing tonight, but I am too tired. As Plenty explains, resistance often feels as though we are going against ourselves in order to satisfy some internal authority or a myriad of "shoulds" "oughts" and "have tos". It takes a lot of energy to stay resistant.
What do I suggest? Relax into the exhaustion. Feel it, understand it. Don't resist. But then refocus. Ease out of the exhaustion by refocusing your thoughts and actions. What do I suggest you focus on? How about small steps of accomplishment? Focusing on any movement of your accomplishment can be an effective way to grow your energy.
Treasure any and all small steps - they eventually lead to big wins. Appreciating small steps boosts energy. This is why small steps count, each and every day.
Who have you helped today? What did you do that was hard and even scary? When I ask my clients to tell me what they have accomplished between our sessions, I hope to hear a list of creative, effective small steps. The more I validate and celebrate these accomplishments, the more energized they feel, even in the moment. List your small steps, validate your accomplishment, and leverage your energy. Do this for yourself each day.
Have Enough Time
Time is my most valuable resource. I know I am not alone in feeling this way.
One client agrees, saying, "I wish that there was more than 24 hours of a day. Between seeing clients, doing my administrative tasks, taking care of my family, and trying to have a personal life, I always run out of time. How can I do everything?"
I admire those very successful entrepreneurs who get a lot done, and have a good time doing it. They usually don't talk about the lack of time; instead, they have strategies for leveraging time. You need some strategies to do this too. Here is one strategy I use that many of my clients say has helped them feel more abundant and relaxed when it comes to managing time.
There is much more I want you to understand about this topic, but to save space on this newsletter please read the rest of the article by clicking here!
Learn to leverage and have the time for all you need to do.
More next time,Lynn
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Upcoming Workshops
March 17, 2010: 1:00 PM ET: How to Survive and Thrive in an Uncertain Economy
Presented by: Lynn Grodzki
Sponsored by Imago Therapists Think Tank. Register at: http://gettingtheloveyouwant.com
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March 25-28, 2010: Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, Washington DC
Thursday, March 25: #128 – Beginning Your Career
Presented by: Lynn Grodzki
You’re just beginning your career as a therapist and you’ve started seeing clients, but all kinds of questions and problems arise day to day that were never addressed in graduate school. Where can you go for guidance? In this all-day workshop, we’ll come together to explore the range of baffling professional issues faced by beginning therapists trying to chart their career path. You’ll get advice on how to simplify your most difficult cases, retain clients longer, and stay calm and grounded when sessions get tough. We’ll also reveal the secrets and strategies of building a successful private practice, even in today’s economic climate.
Sunday, March 28: #626 - The Future of Private Practice: A Day for Retooling Your Business Model
Presented by: Lynn Grodzki, Casey Truffo, and Joe Bavonese
With pervasive economic insecurity and a shrinking client base, there’s some question about whether private practice can even survive in its current form. Whatever their individual “take” on the current situation, all three panelists argue that, in the future, therapists will have to change the way they think about their work and how to attract clients. Register at www.psychotherapynetworker.org
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Visit the Website: www.privatepracticesuccess.com
New at the Website --
Read a chapter of my newest book or hear me talking about it!
See articles, a business checklist, online tools, online home study courses and much more.
Information about getting started with individual coaching, see how easy it is to build or rebuild an ideal private practice today.
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Lynn's latest book
Crisis-Proof Your Practice: How to Survive and Thrive in an Uncertain Economy
Lynn’s newest book is one you cannot afford to be without! Published by WW Norton, only $21.95. Order today by clicking HERE and learn how to be more profitable and purposeful in this uncertain economy!
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Contact Lynn
Telephone
(301) 434-0766
E-mail
info@privatepracticesuccess.com
Snail Mail
910 La Grande Rd.
Silver Spring, MD 20903
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