First off, I will never tell anyone to quit their day job. I am a HUGE fan of slowly building your practice on the side as you save up and feel super successful and safe so you can jump into your practice with confidence and joy. Or if you are feeling the need to move then you can totally jump in!
What I have noticed with a lot of my students is the biggest struggle is mindset. Convincing yourself that you do have the ability to start a private practice and that you will be successful. I am sure if you ask all your friends, family, and loved ones right now they would tell you YES you do have the ability and drive; don’t let YOU stand in the way of this DREAM!!! BE UNAPOLOGETIC IN WHAT YOU WANT
Here are a few ideas and tips on how to help with that jump
KNOW YOURSELF
Knowing why you are starting a practice and knowing what is really a stake in making this happen will help you to fuel the fire behind your passion. Why is it important to you have this practice and work with clients in a this setting? Why do you want this lifestyle, the things that are important to you, peace, love your job and be excited to work? Why specifically do you want this change? Do you know there is more out there? Is this for your family, kids, partner? Write down your why…NOW
The reason why I am starting a practice is_____________________________________________
I also want you to know more about your personality and what it takes to be in practice. Check out Ready to Jump free course that I walk you through questions on discovering your why and knowing how your personality matches entrepreneurs. This will all be a mindset shift for you and you will need to continue to shift your mindset during this process.
GET A COACH
The best way to get out of your way is to hire a coach! Someone that will help and guide you along the way and make sure you have everything in order so you are comfortable making the jump. They may also help to make sure you did not miss a step or forget anything. Coaches can be an investment e and if you are typing to keep this startup in the lean fashion look for group coaching or class options
PLAN IT OUT
Y’all know I love organization and planning so I truly believe that when you are doing anything different having a plan helps you to feel safe and on a path. Creating an outline before you jump is another way to make sure you are doing this smart. Here are some things to think about for your plan and outline:
- How much money do you need in saving to run your practice?
- How much do you need to be making every week in your practice to not need that steady paycheck?
- What number of clients on your schedule weekly do you need to feel comfortable?
- This is a the time to be picky in your clients. Yep that’s right, you do not need to see anybody that calls just because you can. Your time is precious and you need to start thinking that way, like a practice owner. Start to get really clear on what type of clients you want to work with and what type of clients you don’t want to work with.
- Dream client- who is your dream client that you want to work with?
SET BOUNDARIES
When I was first started out in my career, I would do anything asked of me.
- You want me to work seven days this week? Sure!
- Need me to have my phone on just in case you want to hash something out at 10pm? Done!
- Don’t schedule that holiday vacation to see my family because we might have a client needing to schedule an appointment? Will do.
It took a complete meltdown for me to realize that the boundaries I was setting in my life were not mine, they were works. Everything I did was to the benefit of my practice. If we don’t set boundaries for ourselves, inevitably, someone or something will set them for us.
Here’s the thing, setting clear boundaries are going to rub some people the wrong way, and being unapologetic about what you want then go after it! This mindset shift is what it takes to truly bring you the work-life balance.