When I first got started in my practice 9 years ago, I struggled. I struggled to make ends meet. I struggled to find clients. I struggled to get the fees I wanted to get. I struggled to build a consistent base of referrals. I felt as though I was failing miserably. So much so that I seriously considered giving up on my dream. I was starting to believe that it was possible for other people but it wasn’t possible for me.
Whenever I set a new goal for myself, or whenever I am pushing outside of my comfort zone, I get uncomfortable with that change and fear sets in. I remember what it was like for me in those days, and I remember how I almost gave up on my dreams. Now I’ve come to see fear as an essential part of growth. If we can’t push ourselves outside of that comfort zone, we will remain stuck just where we are.
When I coach therapists, I see this most often in their reluctance to charge what they are worth. I can’t even tell you how many exceptional therapists there are out there that are accepting $35 or $40 per session for their work. I’m sorry, but we have so much more value then that. The barrier to these clients is in their minds. They will often tell me, “My clients can’t afford that.” “No one in my area charges that much.” “I don’t want to scare new clients away.”
But underneath all of that is fear. Fear that they AREN’T going to find the right clients. Fear that they aren’t worth the extra money. This fear is what holds you back from your 6-figure practice.
Because you CAN make it work. You CAN attract your ideal client. But you won’t get it right the first time. You probably won’t get it right on your second try, either. It’s a willingness to move through the fear, risk failing, and continue to pursue your goal that builds a successful 6-figure private practice.
Failure is nothing more than an event on the road to accomplishing your mission. It will happen. And you will learn from this experience, correct your course, and continue on your path.
In fact, this is exactly what happens whenever a spaceship takes off. A spaceship is actually “on course” only about 4% of the time. The rest of the time, it is off course and making course corrections. The flight computer is measuring exact position from desired position and adjusting the flight path as needed. That’s what you need to do. Take a look at where you are now. Take a look at where you are headed, and see what corrections need to be made. Then get ready to really blast off!