I promised I wouldn’t nag you about your 2010 goals. But here is a different twist:
What did you DECIDE in 2009? What did you decide that made it the best year you’ve had. (Or even what decisions did you avoid that, in rethinking it, should have been made?)
Here is a 2 minute and 10 second video of the decisions I made this last year. Warning: significant narcissism involved. But it is also a hint of what we at International Therapist Leadership Institute have in store for you in 2010! (Please press the play arrow and wait 15 or so seconds while it queues up to run. You will see a white screen while it is loading.)
The decisions I made that affected my year profoundly:
1. Do something I’ve never done before. (I ran 3 half-marathons.)
2. Invest in a MENTOR to help me push the envelope and offer services (such as the Virtual Conferences) that in my humble opinion made history in conference delivery.
3. Let go of playing it safe. I continue to look for ways to push the envelope in ways to support you.
But what about you… What decisions did you make? What do you plan to make?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I decided that after 14 years in the field, 11 years after getting my masters and 6 years after getting my license, I really don’t like being a therapist and I don’t want to do it anymore!
You are so not alone, Jackie. I hope you find your next big thing that makes you very happy and lots of $$$. Keep me posted!
Hugs,
Casey
I like this question! I decided to take and pass my MFT licenser exam. I decided to make room to study for the exam, by quitting the overly demanding job I had which included not pursuing a career with that company, and instead invest in my own talents as a Therapist for Teens and Families. This was an incredibly scary decision! But I did it any way and with lots of great support from family friends and colleges I am happy to say it was the best decision of 2009!
I left the insurance industry to pursue counseling full time!!!!
I earned/recieved my license!
I’m excited about 2010!!!!
Nat
John, thanks for the comment. I’ll be sure to check out your site.
Take good care,
I graduated this year and after anxiously throwing my resume at everything that came along with no response, I decided to seek out only the jobs that I really, really wanted and rely on networking more and internet job sites less. I also decided to let go of the hopelessness that kept nagging at me about the job market. God had something for me. And guess what! I got the best job I could have imagined for myself!
Hi Casey,
I truly appreciate from your foresight and energy. Still, I have not fully embraced this into my practice. I feel overwhelmed with trying to complete my certification with the Gottman Institute (that deadline has been extended twice) and building a couples counseling practice and taking care of my 88 year old mother who is living with my husband and me. Yet each of these I do consider as best decisions still in progress. Time just isn’t on my side to do what is needed to progress in my practice, especially to attract more cash-paying clients, as I do not provide insurance.
So, with that said, I’m still hoping to find a way to meet my obligations and build my specialized practice. I noticed your “attract more cash-paying clients” as a low-cost training over the phone. I will check into this and anything you could add that would help me make the best decision in accomplishing my goals would be very much appreciated.
Best wishes for the New Year!
Ingrid
I tend to be an anxious person and will stress and lose sleep over “possible” problematic situations, which for the most part, turn out to be fine or not as bad as I thought. A wise man once said “the worst things in my life never happened”. So, I decided, although difficult to do, that I was not going to worry about a situation unless I was absolutely sure about it. This way of thinking has saved me from much unneeded stress and has made me more calm and able to problem solve in a more effective manner with a more positive outcome. And this has also allowed me to be more present and not off in some fantasy land of what could be.
Hi Casey,
This year was AMAZING because I passed both license exams. I decided to take time off work to study so that I could pass in November. Then I decided to invest in myself and attend your virtual practice building conference. Wow. I decided to learn how to build a website and network; now everyone wants to refer clients to me.
Thank you Casey! I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Rebecca
Rebecca, that is fantastic! Kudos to you!
thanks for sharing
Best thing of ‘09 is through the love and support of my family, I finally took the plunge and went into my own private practice. After many years in community mental health, it is wonderful!
Good for you Judith! Many good wishes for great success!